Let Sorrow Have it's Day 2 of Loyal Hearts
by Gabrielle Baer
Summary: Tragedy hits hard one summer in the small town of Salem, USA. No family and no heart is spared during a time of great, unexpected woes. Great changes grow out of great turmoil for every heart in Salem.
1. Chapter 1

Let Sorrow Have It's Day a second new Lumific by Rielle

written by Richard Kerr and John Bettis, recorded by Barry Manilow  
Goodbye  
There's a word I've hated all my life  
Unanticipated tears can hurt so much  
My friend  
It's so sad to see you at love's end  
I've been through the pain myself  
It's really wrong, to play it strong  
Go on and cry till you run dry  
It's alright  
Go on and scream, at broken dreams  
It's alright  
Let sorrow have its day  
And when it's done  
Life will go on  
In time, thoughts of, what might have been, will leave your mind  
And sweet forgetfulness will come,  
Don't worry now just when or how  
Go on and cry till you run dry  
It's alright  
Go on and scream at broken dreams  
It's alright  
Let sorrow have its day  
Not to cry out  
It's no crime  
In time life will go on  
Go on and cry till you run dry  
It's alright  
Go on and scream, at broken dreams  
It's alright  
Let sorrow have its day  
And when it's done  
Life will go on and on  
It's alright  
Oh it's alright  
Let sorrow have its day  
And when it's done  
Life will go on and on

Disclaimer,  
a)  
if you recognize the characters in this work of fiction they belong to Ken Corday, Sony and NBC in something like that order. I don't own them, and am not making any profit from this work of fiction.  
b)  
This is an alternative fiction, with some basic similarities and some major differences to what is aired on Days of Our Lives. For those who haven't read 'One Voice' by this author, the main differences are in the parentage of the 'Geminis', and the motives of several characters, mostly for the good.  
c)  
Some elements of this story may involve or have characters discussing consensual sexual relations between adults. For that reason, the rating on this story should be PG-17. If you find such concepts or content not to your liking, or you are under 18 years of age, please, read no further.

Let Sorrow Have Its Day, and its companion pieces, One Voice which precedes it, and Friends and Lovers, which follows, are dedicated to the giving, caring, funny, and genuinely talented Lumiers at Second Chances, because they have been such good friends, and that's what I feel they've given my creativity, a second chance. Thanks so much, all of you, you inspire me everyday. And great thanx to Ali and Bryan, whose work for the past ten years has inspired us all.  
Rielle

Part 1

The whole town of Salem seemed to lay silent that morning, as late summer was turning to fall. The whole town seemed to be huddling inside their doors, dreading to step outside., she thought. And at least half the town seemed to have made their way to this quiet, almost park-like spot, not far out of the town limits.

That wasn't exactly surprising, she considered. All the people who stood beside, around and across from her had reasons, the worst of all possible reasons to be standing here as she was, numb with shock and exhausted by grief. Even the new parish priest, officiating today had unshed tears brightening his grey eyes.

Unbelievably, this young man was only a few years older than Sami, and his ties to Salem ran as deep or deeper than her own. He was the son and grandson of one of the founding families in Salem. But in fact, he was someone who'd grown up far from Salem, as his mother's concert tours had taken them both around the world. He was Tod Chandler Curtis, the adopted son of Liz Chandler Dimera Craig Curtis, and the late Dr. Neil Curtis.

In any other circumstances, Sami knew she would have looked this newcomer over, and found him fairly easy on the eyes, despite his priesthood. Tod Curtis had his mother's unruly blond hair and his father's piercing grey eyes. And having come to his vocation after a stint as a Navy pilot, he had an athlete/fighter's build. But only the slightest hint of a blush warmed Sami's face as these thoughts crossed her mind. Neither she nor Tod, nor anyone else standing here could focus on anything but the row of graves they had encircled.

Fifteen graves. And when their fiercest sorrow lifted, everyone standing here would know, and would probably tell each other, they knew there could have been a great many more. Fifteen townspeople were being laid to rest by their spouses and their kids, their friends and their families, victims of something most in Salem still couldn't comprehend. In fact, some Salemites were absent today because they were still recovering, slowly and painfully recovering in a ward that had been quarantined at SUMC until only a few days ago.

Sami held her ground and clung to her son, knowing it wouldn't help Will if she started bawling here and now. But that was what she wanted so much to do, just start crying and never, ever stop. She wanted to lay on the ground in front of some of those graves and wail and beat the earth as if it were her enemy. And, glancing over at Lucas, who stood as if at attention on a parade ground, but with one hand firmly on Will's other shoulder, Sami guessed he felt the same.

Then Lucas glanced back and she knew for sure. His eyes gave away his soul, and his soul was in as much torment as hers. The same shock and angry disbelief raged in Lucas' face that Sami felt. The same desire to curse life, death, and all the living world that had her biting her lower lip, had set Lucas' mouth in a hard, taut line. And yet he managed to study her face closely and nod in answer to the question she hadn't asked aloud.

'Lucas' she silently mouthed, as she'd had to do, a year ago.

"S'okay, Sami." he whispered back, and instead of touching her face under her mourning veil, messed Will's sunbleached hair.

She shook her head at him, Lucas was putting up a fine, brave front, making her remember the first nickname she gave him. But he wasn't okay, she wasn't okay and nothing was going to be okay for a long time. Following his example though, Sami experimented with a wan smile.

"Mom," Will whispered, squirming and tugging on Sami's sleeve. "you're dripping on me."

"Sorry, little man." she told him, swallowing a laugh that no one around them would possibly understand.

But Lucas did. With a pale imitation of his usual smirk, he pulled out a black linen handkerchief and handed it to Sami. "My dear, never in any emergency of your life," he said with what had to be his worst Gable imitation ever, 'have I known you to carry a simple, practical handkerchief. Take mine, please."  
"Sir, you are no gentleman!" Sami replied, accepting the cloth and making a great show of daintily wiping her eyes and nose.

Their banter was cut off immediately by the whispering pages of the hymnals in every pair of hands around them. Together, the grieving families sang the processional and began filing towards the row of coffins, each one with a rose to lay there as a last, loving gesture. Lucas offered Sami his arm, and today she felt no need to refuse that support. In fact she was glad to have it.

Will carried three roses, one white, one red, and one yellow. Lucas carried five, and so did Sami. Behind them, although neither one had realized it, walked Kate, leaning on Phillip's strong right arm. And Billie was keeping up as brave a front as her brother'. Despite having lost two men who meant so much in her life, she was stubbornly refusing to lean on Mike Horton. In fact, she was clearly trying to comfort him. Billie knew very well what it meant to lose a father you weren't sure whether you loved or were loved by him. Bill Horton had come home to help his family and his town, and like all the others being buried today, lost his life fighting the disease.

Alongside the young doctor walked the man who had called Mike his son for a third of his life. Astonishing everyone who knew him, Mickey Horton had escaped the swift deadly illness that struck so many of his friends and kin. He'd been the patriarch of the family for a long time now, but his face was a mask of pain today like so many others here. The granddame of all Salem, Alice Horton had refused to leave her work at the Center her family built from scratch. She had seemed indestructible to so many in Salem for so very long, no one seemed to be able to comprehend that while Alice was undoubtedly reunited with her beloved Tom, her remains rested in a silken mahogany casket, beneath a blanket of pale pink roses.

Sami found herself focusing on the faces around her now, as she hadn't done all morning. Mimi was clinging to her mother, and not so surprisingly at this moment, next to her Belle and Cassie were sobbing in each other's arms. Sami left Lucas and Will for a moment then, striding quickly over to hug both her younger sisters. Then she took each by the hand and brought them back with her, with a nod to Mimi to follow.

I'm the oldest, now. Sami suddenly realized. Eric, you were always the slowpoke, second-born, and now you should be stuck with John, Brady, Shawn, Hope and Carrie, in a bed at the Center. But you're not; you've run on ahead of me. No fair, Eric Roman Brady, no fair! So now I'm The Brady here. I'd better act like it.

"We're Brady's... and Evanses," Sami quietly encouraged her sisters. "We're strong, proud and extremely thick headed. Pick up your chins, girls, and show them what we're made of. Ready? Mimi, of course I meant you, too. You're part of the tribe, now. Lucas, you and Will go with Mike and Billie first, then meet us at the end. Let's get this show on the road."

Determinedly, Sami walked down the row of graves, to their goal at the far end. Still feeling like she'd rather be six feet under herself, she refused to let it show on her face or in her voice. Only when she found herself flicking tears off her cheeks with each hand did she nearly break down.  
"Granpa." Sami said softly, laying a bright red rose on Sean Brady's coffin, "I miss you like fire. Remember when you used to say that to me, when I'd call up from Colorado? We had a grand wake, you know, I thought the Pub would explode for all the people crowding in."

"And Grandma, I really wish you were here holding me. But everyone who ever knew you knows that you'd never let Sean Brady go traipsing off, not even to the Highest Heaven, without you. Have a grand time, okay, and wait for us." Sami wept, laying a white rose so pale it held hints of Irish green.

"Slowpoke," Sami said, laying a wine-red rose on the next coffin. "Do you have any idea how angry I am with you right now? Why, why did you have to come home only to leave me behind again! If I didn't love you so much Eric Brady, I swear, I'd hate you the rest of my life. But only one other person knows me as well as you, little brother. So, you know I don't stay angry. Take good care of them, okay?"

Lucas and Will caught up to the four young women before Sami could take the next step. And she couldn't remember ever being more grateful to see them, and feel their steadying hands on her arms. She'd reached the last two graves, and the worst point of her day.

"Daddy," she wept again, "I want to be as mad at you as I want to be at Eric, but I c-can't. Because this time I know you're n-not ever coming back. And this time I've never wanted you standing in front of me, telling me everything I've ever done wrong more than I do right now. But this time is different another way, too. This time I'm not alone, and this time, I know I never should have blamed you ... And this time I know just how much you love me. So I want to make sure, real sure, Daddy, that you know how much I love you. Okay?" As gently as if she was placing it in his hand, Sami now laid a bright yellow rose on Roman's coffin. "This is from Mom." she whispered.

Then she somehow managed to step back and face the final trial. Leaning down to kiss the surface of a deep midnight blue coffin, Sami sat back on her knees, oblivious to the harm done her mourning clothes. Then she laid a cream colored rose down and fought for the strength to say her piece. "This is from Daddy. I can hardly remember a time when he wasn't breaking the budget to bring roses like this home to you. And now you two can kibbitz forever about how John and Lucas, and I take care of the kids.

And we will, Mom, I swear. Cassie and Belle ... they only look tender and soft on the outside, they're tough as steel magnolias on the inside, just like you, Mom. John's getting better every day, Mom. And so is Rex. Hey, I guess you know that if it weren't for my genius brother nobody would have figured out how to fight the virus. But you gotta help him now, Mom. He's just one big ache, cos he thinks he could have found it out sooner. But I know Tony will help, as soon as he's well, again. Who would have ever thought a Dimera could really love kids he only found two years ago? I've gotta to take Will home, and then over to Kate's, Mom. We've 'signed a truce', Kate and me. For Lucas, and Will' sake. See, I knew that would make you smile. Funny, I can feel you smiling at me, and probably laughing, too."

But this was no day for laughter in Salem, not a single family had gone untouched, and mostly due to their own heroism, in the face of a silent, faceless killer, fifteen irreplaceable lives were lost. Sami looked up the long row of gravesites, seeing so many Salemites kneeling as she was, bidding farewell to beloved friends and kin. Standing up, Sami felt almost compelled to memorize the names and faces of those so shockingly suddenly lost: Alice Horton, Drs Bill and Sandy Horton, Abigail Deveraux and her heartbroken mother, Jennifer Rose, Nicole Walker Kiriakis, Austin Reed, Neil Curtis, Lexie Perrault Carver, Sean, Caroline, Eric, Bo and Roman Brady, and Marlena Evans Craig Brady Black.

How could this have happened to us? Sami wondered, hugging her own son close again, and then opening her arms wide to take in Lucas, Belle, Mimi, Cassie and Will. How did we get here, today, and how are we going to go on?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**  
One Month Earlier,

Jennifer Horton Deveraux brought her daughter Abby into SUMC for a checkup. The eleven year old girl had what seemed a bad summer cold, or an unseasonable case of the flu. She'd complained just the day before of feeling achy and hot, and sick to her stomach.

It was a rainy, mild summer in Salem, and only a few days had been warm enough for an active kid like Abby to get overheated playing outside. When Jenn tried their standby remedy of flat soda pop and pretzels, Abby couldn't manage to keep them down, either.

While being examined by their new pediatrician, Noelle Curtis, Jenn noted that Abby was listless, and unusually tired.. This was very worrisome to the young mother, since the youngster was usually as frenetically energetic as her father, Jack. had always been. Something was very wrong, Jenn feared, and her talk afterwards with Noelle didn't change that opinion.

"I'm guessing, until we get the tests back, Mrs. Deveraux." Dr Curtis told her.

"Please, call me Jenn., and tell me what you'r guess is."

"Im guessing, Jenn, that Abby's picked up some kind of flu bug. It doesn't happen much in the summer, but with an active, growing child, its not really that unlikely, unless she's isolated from every other child in Salem.."

"No, not Abby. She's been to camp, and checking in with her cousins when they're around.. Should I call around and ask if any of her friends are down with this flu?" Jenn asked.

"I don't think that's necessary. Abby's the first young one I've seen with flu symptoms. But if that's what she's got, I can pretty safely predict a line around the block here in a few days.. You don't need to be very worried, Jenninfer. Kids are amazingly resilient and antibiotics usually knock this stuff out in a short time. Of course, i understand your concern runs deeper than that."

"Yes, when she was a baby Abby developed aplastic anemia. She needed a bone marrow transplant, and luckily, after a few scary weeks, we found a donor. I felt really blessed, because no one in the immediate family was a match. Dr. Curtis, Abby's been completely healthy since then., not even a hint of a remission. Am I overreacting?"

"As a parent, I''d have to say absolutely not.'" Noelle smiled. "And please, call me Noelle. Everyone else here does. And as a pediatrician, I'd say there's no harm in caution, especially since Abby's immune system was once compromised.. And didn't you tell me that her father had a congenital illness?"

"Yes, Jack did, Noelle." Jenn nodded, a shadow falling over her heart. "It killed him, less than a year ago. I still can hardly believe it. I guess that's why Abby is so incredibly precious to me, more than ever."

"I understand. My dad''s fighting liver cancer. But he won't quit his practice! Did you ever wonder what makes the men from Salem so stubborn?" Noelle asked.

"Jack always said the answer to that was simple: The women from Salem."

"I'm sorry I didn''t get to meet him. Go on and take Abby home, and make sure both of you get some rest. And of course, push fluids. That can't hurt. I'll send a scrip for those antibiotics down to the pharmacy asap. Let them deliver it. You're to take your daughter home and try not to worry. That's doctor's orders, okay?"

"Oh absolutely. Listen, Noelle, I know all about doctor's orders, I grew up surrounded by doctors. My mom, my Dad, my older brother, my grandfather, and about half of my cousins became doctors! But thanks. I'm really glad you and your dad came back to Salem. "

"Well, we heard there weren't any Hortons in line for Chief of Staff just now." Noelle laughed. "So we figured one or the other of us would be a shoe-in!"

Jenn laughed too, and collecting Abby from the waiting room, took her home., stopping only long enough at Salem Place, to satisfy the craving they both suddenly had for orange sorbet.

Opening the door to their apartment, the one Jennifer rented when she and Abby just couldn't bear to stay in the huge house Bill bought them, the young widow wasn't really surprised to find her grandmother Alice waiting.

"Is this some kind of conspiracy?" Jennifer asked, giggling and huggin.g the woman who had partly raised her and most of her kin."

"Of course it is." Alice smiled. "A conspiracy to make sure Abigail gets well, and you don't fall ill yourself caring for her. You know, I've always had a special place in my heart for this curly top, ever since you named her for my beloved mother. And you know, Jennifer Rose, you have a special place in my heart, too. You've made your father and your mother so proud. Why when I think of the wild-child who came running into Salem that summer ..."

"Pretending she didn't need anyone.? Oh, Gran. I need you now more than ever. And I love you so much. Let me get Abby settled, and we'll have a good long talk. Who have you heard from lately? David? Sarah? Julie?" Jenn stood up, and shook off the weariness that had been plaguing her all day.

"Oh well, yes. Julie emails me, now, at least three times a week. And Scott is visiting with her and Doug, so I get news on all of them. " Alice confided, watching Jennifer debate with Abby whether or not the girl would rest upstairs or down.

"Now, let me think, I had a call from Melissa last week, when she got back from her latest tour, Sarah's her stage manager, these days, and they're having so much fun, and not a little success. David seems to be very busy trying to keep from downsizing his father's company, And of course you know your parents were just leaving Nairobi, on their way to Senegal, a few days ago. Michael is trying to keep things together in the clinics he's running in Tel Aviv, and how did he put it, across the green line, in Bethlehem, with Jeremy and Robin and Carrie helping. It makes my heart glad that they've been able to work together. But my, how frightening."

"I agree." Jenn told her. "I cringe everytime I hear about another bombing. "But Mike's kept me pretty well posted. In fact he called to say that Dad and Mom might be coming north to visit him, before they decide on their next jaunt."

"Well, then, I must ask Jeremy to make sure he takes some pictures. It's so rare, these days that we get as many generations of Horton's together. Oh, that reminds me, I got the sweetest letter from your cousin Jessica. She can't come visit for a few months because she's expecting again and they're being especially cautious. I'm glad because I know how much she and Joshua want another child. And of course, Marie is there, she won't let Jessica out of her sight, at least that's what Jessica wrote me."

"Oh I believe it. Aunt Marie isn't someone to fool with Gran, She's your daughter, through and through."

"Well, I suppose I should take that as a compliment. So I will. After all, Greason women helped civilize this part of the country you know. My own grandmother, your cousin Sarah was named for her, was one of the founders of Salem. She married ... ... a Caleb Chandler."

"Oh that reminds me, Gran. Have you met Abby's new pediatrician yet? She's Neil Curtis' daughter, Noelle."

" Yes. It was just a few months back, when she came by the Horton Foundation offices, after her final interview. She looks a great deal like her father, don't you think? And she has his sense of humor, too. Medical humor, strange, its one thing Tom was certain I never understood.."

"Well, I like her a lot and so does Abby." Jennifer added. "Now, Ms. Abigail, If I let you stay downstairs, snuggled in the big chair, do you promise to sip some tea and try for a nap?"

"Uh-huh." Abby nodded, with something like her normal enthusiasm.. "Noelle's really kewl, Gran." she told Alice. "She won't talk down to me ... like some people we know."

Jennifer said nothing, only shook her head and returned to sit next to Alice.

"Well, that's important in a doctor, Abigail." Alice agreed. "Its called a good bedside manner."

"Oh ... yeah." Abby obediently sipped some tea and laid back in the lounger that had been her favorite place to sit, with Jack when he was home. She was asleep before the rest of her tea got cold.

"Well, that's one less worry. She hardly slept all night." Jenn explained. "It's just not like Abby to get so worn out. Noelle is sending some medicine over. She seemed to be certain it will help. I hope so!"

"Jennifer Rose, you're going to worry yourself sick!" Alice exclaimed. "And that's what I came over to prevent.!"

The phone on the coffee table rang and Jenn excused herself to answer it.

"Hey, sis!" Lucas Roberts said when she answered.

"Hey Lucas. I guess I forgot you were going to call."

"No problem.. Will just wanted to know when Abby's going to be feeling better, they were going to do something when he got back from camp."

"Not this week, I'm sorry. Abby's got a flu bug of some kind. She's got to rest and take it easy, Doctor's orders. Kids catch things so easily. You'd better keep Will home, if you can. "

"Hey, thanks for the heads up. Is that Noelle Curtis, who's seeing Abby? Yeah, Will's got this massive crush on her. Lissen, Jennifer, stay well, and don't wear yourself out ...I've done some child care myself now, and its rough."

"Thanks, Lucas. You sound just like Gran, and she came over to help out."

"Great. Call me, if you need anything from ... you know, anything. Okay?"

"I will, Lucas. I will," Jenn told him feeling a bit tired and irritated by hovering relatives..

"Promise?"

"I promise.:"


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

It was high summer and the parks and play yards of Salem were oddly uncrowded. School-age kids, preschoolers and some infants were showing symptoms of a new strain of flu. Pediatrician's like Noelle Curtis were swamped with listless, feverish kids and their more and more frantic parents.

And some of these cases were nothing but unseasonable bouts of flu virus. But some were clearly not, as about half the children falling ill recovered slowly or not at all. When half a dozen newborns, newly arrived home became ill with similar symptoms, and two of that number died, the NICU at Salem University Medical Center set up an isolation ward. When a whole class of kindergartners going to summer day-camp began to fall ill, their camp and the adjacent school building were closed until the Health department could meticulously inspect both.

Sami reacted by getting ready to ship Will to either his grandparents in Africa, his uncle Shane in Afghanistan, his aunts Kim and Kayla in Los Angeles or his uncle Mike in Israel, to ensure his safety. Lucas didn't think Tel Aviv was necessarily safer than Salem, but he was willing to opt for a trip to LA for Will, or for the three of them. This Sami wasn't ready to agree on.

"Yeah, like anyone would pay for me to have time out of town with my son." Sami growled, fighting an impulse to whine. "

"Tony would, in a heartbeat, and you know it. Besides, he's paying me well enough that I could foot the fare, maybe even a nice suite." Lucas grinned.

"Tony's paying you, which you know darn well I wish he wasn't, to take care of his business interests, here."

"And he has business interests around the world, Sami, including sunny southern California. C'mon, it would be fun and it would keep Will safe at the same time, from ... whatever this ... thing is."

"This thing is some kind of virus that no one understands., yet, Lucas. Mom says the lab is running these tests over time, and has been for over a week, and nothing, no clue. In fact, she said they had just about decided to send samples to a lab in Chicago and the CDC. That's scarey, Lucas. You're right, you should take Will to California, take him to visit Kim and Kayla ... He hasn't seen his cousins out there in years."

"Sami..."

"Don't look at me like that, Lucas Roberts. I'm only staying in town a few days, to check on my Dad. He looked like ten miles of bad road when I made him dinner the other night, and he hardly ate a thing."

"I know," Lucas agreed. "Mom called him and then me from NYC, She's visiting Austin.  
She told me Roman was almost too tired to talk with her. I thought maybe they had a fight, but now ..."

Sami looked at Lucas and then away, as a frightening thought hit her. "Lucas, you're at the hospital every other day for the Horton Foundation. Has anyone ... Have you heard about any adult cases of this ... flu?"

"No, nothing. The last one I had a report on was a junior high school kid. They brought her in after she collapsed during a soccer game. They thought she'd suffered a heat stroke, but she didn't. And she didn't make it."

"Okay, that's it then, make the arrangements, get Will out to LA, Lucas. Do it today or tomorrow, And I'll follow as soon as I know my Dad hasn't come down with whatever this is.. I guess I wouldn't be so scared, except he was never, ever sick ... not until the last time he came home and we all thought he was going to die."

"Sami, how many times in just your life time have we thought for sure Roman Brady was dead." Lucas asked her quietly. "The man's unstoppable. You should know that by now. Heck, even my Mom was gone for a whole year. Not one I want to remember, either. How do you think you and I and the Willster got to be so tough? We come from a long, long line of survivors.. We're at our best in a crisis."

"Yeah, survivors. Thanks, Lucas. I'm going straight over to Mom's office and get her to take a look at Dad. You get Will packed and ready. And please, please, make sure he packs clothes. instead of Gamestation and DVDs, this time?"

"Get real, little momma," Lucas laughed. "Don't you know they sell clothes in California, too?" A man's gotta have his relaxation, first and foremost. "

"Yeah, Lucas, I know all about boys and their toys." Sami quipped back., as she opened the door of Lucas' apartment to leave.

""Hey,! Don't forget, whoever has the most toys when the game's over, wins!" Lucas laughed, But before he would let her leave, Lucas took Sami softly by one arm and turned her around., facing him, again. "I want it clearly understood that you will be on the next plane west, nonstop if at all possible, once you get the good word on Roman."  
he insisted.

"And if I'm not?" Sami asked, her eyes laughing at his mobster approach.

"I'll have to send the gang after ya. And ya know, doll, they don't go easy on dames, or anybody who doesn't do what I say. Don't ya?"

"Oh, absolutely, Godfather!"

"I like your attitude. Respect is all I ask of ya, Just respect."

"That's all well and good, Godfather." Sami teased. "But I'm still waiting. "

"Fah what?"

"For you to make me an offer I can't refuse."

Lucas' dark eyes lit with fun, and then grew serious as Sami watched. "Okay, little momma," he growled. "Come out to da coast and we'll get hitched. Whaddya say to that?"

Before she could form a reply, Lucas pulled Sami even closer and pressed a kiss onto her lips. It was their first today, and she welcomed his claim on her mouth with equal warmth.

"Now dat's the kinda answer I respect." Lucas chortled, when they finally pulled back.

"I haven't answered, Godfather General Roberts." Sami insisted. "We said, no rushing things, this time."

"Naw, you've got your movies mixed up, doll. 'We said no questions.'"

Sami rolled her eyes and smiled back." Of all the apartments in all the dumps in all the Midwest, I had to walk into his!" she paraphrased.

"I'm shocked, shocked I say ..."

"Lucas stop!" Sami cried, "Okay, we'll compromise. You and the Willster, which you know I hate it when you call him that, high-tail it to visit Kim and Kayla, Jeannie and Stephany and Andrew, I'll make sure of my old man and catch then next flight. And if you treat me nice, Buy me a California lobster dinner, Then I'll answer your question.."

"Sami, we've come so far, We've made up for so much lost time. Mig-d, we've even begun to forgive each other." Lucas frowned "In less than a year, I guess I just don't know why."

"Don't lie to me, Lucas Roberts, You know every single reason why I'm even more gun-shy than you are: Do you really want the list?"

"Just the short list, please."

"Fine: My Dad, your Mom, Your former stepfather, my current stepfather, your sisters, my sisters, my step uncle who happens to still be your boss. And last but not least, Austin Reed, Carrie Brady Horton, Nicole Walker Kiriakis, Franco Kelly and Brandon Walker"

"You forgot the rest of the Hortons and Bradys."

"They come as a matched set, Lucas."

"Just like you and me, doll face."

"From your mouth to G-d's ears." Sami sighed and embraced Lucas again before hurrying away.

Lucas grinned as she left. He had no doubt that she was turning towards his way of thinking. It was so simple. They had been through years of hell, even providing some of it for each other. They climbed past that, and had done their best to leave it behind, They'd insisted on ignoring, cutting off and when necessary, fighting their own prejudices and those of their kinfolk.

As far as Lucas could tell nothing that lay ahead of them could possibly be as hard as what they'd already been through. What he didn't' bother to tell Sami was that both the boss she was so worried about, and the stepfather she was on good terms with, again, finally, were hand in glove with Lucas' plan to win Sami's heart again, and her hand..

"Roman's a good man," John Black  told the younger man recently. "But he's carrying around so much guilt for being away from Sami

so many years, that he can't allow the idea that she might need someone else more, much less love someone else more. But I had the advantage of watching her grow up to some extent. Sami is even more scared of your changes and chances than you are. But she wants them just as much. Don't give up on loving and having Doc's daughter, my friend. These Evan's women are worth everything you've got and more. But I think you finally know that, too.:"

And Tony, walking in on their conversation in John's office, still as determined as John to keep their truce going, nodded his agreement.

"Lucas, I should have apologized a year ago or so for being less than straightforward about Samantha and my intentions towards her. She's an amazing remarkable, passionate, and deeply caring young woman, with a fiery spirit to say the least.  
. But mig-d, I hope you have the good sense not to class me with Victor Kiriakis! Both you and Sami are young enough to be my own children.! And with the possible exception of my dear Renee, I've never been anything like what my twins call 'a chicken-hawk'. Keep after her, Lucas. Prove yourself to her and that will be prove enough, I should hope, for the other naysayers. I have every intention of standing up as your best man, in days to come. And if Roman won't, I strongly suspect my brother here would be delighted to give the bride away."

"Absolutely." John told them both grinning.. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away. Gotta go, now. My vastly wealthy brother here said he wanted to have lunch."

"I thought it was your turn to pick up the tab." Tony laughed, and winked at Lucas as he and his brother walked out the door.

Remembering, Lucas grinned. It sure doesn't hurt to have friends in high places, for a change."


	4. Chapter 4

**part 4**

Sami Brady didn't fly to Los Angeles that week, or until near the end of the week after that. She called Kim Collier's condo at least twice a day, and was grateful for the reports that Will and his father seemed to be in perfect health. Lucas told her the same thing when Sami took his calls, two and three times a day, asking about her health and his family's.

Sami knew that anyone and everyone working at the Medical Center was in danger, and so were any emergency workers, who might contract this mysterious ailment without knowing. She did everything she could to reassure Will and Lucas that she was fine, and that most of the people they cared about were managing. But she couldn't keep the fear completely out of her voice when she talked to Lucas, Kayla and Kim.

And she had good reason, Roman Brady was out sick from his job for the first time since he'd returned to it. And he'd forbade Sami to visit him, as he began to show symptoms of a far worse than normal bout of the flu.. In effect, he'd quarantined himself in his house, their house the one she and Eric and Carrie grew up in. He would not allow anyone inside, not Marlena, not John, not Abe Carver, not Kate, and not even Carrie when she rushed home from Israel on word from John, by way of Shane Donovan.

Sami couldn't remember being more frightened since she waited to find out if Will would survive being born. She called Roman more often than she called Will these days, and only stopped when it became clear that her father wasn't going to let on how ill he'd become. No matter how often they'd fought, no matter how angry she'd been with him in the past few years, Sami knew that Roman Brady had always seemed indestructible to her. No matter how alone or lonely she'd ever felt, in the back of her mind, her father had always been a kind of emotional fall-back for her. She didn't doubt his love for a moment, It was the way he sometimes chose to express it that stung.

Finally, when no one had answered the phone at Roman's house for several long hours one morning, a very mixed group of people showed up there, including the newest local DA, with a rather spurious bench warrant, allowing the SPD to break the door in. Abe, Marlena, John and Sami were the first ones through. Kate, Carrie, Billie and Austin, recently in from New York were on their heels, literally. When Roman didn't answer their calls, they spread out like a trained team of detectives, searching for Salem's Captain of detectives. Austin found his former father in law, unconscious and barely breathing, with his head down on the kitchen table. He'd picked Roman up like a child, and carried him outside, before Marlena or anyone thought to warn the former boxer about the contagion.

Marlena knelt beside her former husband and long time friend, and Sami could see that she was fighting to think and act like a physician. With a gloved hand she checked Roman's pulse and felt his forehead. With her other hand she stroked his face. There was no response.

"His pulse is weak, and thready. His respirations ore shallow. He may be in shock." She told the paramedics who worked with her. "And he's febrile. . Make a note: several years back, Captain Brady contracted a dangerous tropical disease. We were able to obtain an antidote, which saved his life. But his heart had been weakened. You've already seen what this ... virus seems to be doing to older patients. I want Captain Brady's vitals continuously monitored on the way to the hospital and 24 by 7 from then on. You'll be taking him to the respiratory isolation unit just outside the ER, Dr Wesley's already waiting for you. So get going."

As they left, with Roman on a guerney and Carrie climbing into the EMT truck beside him, Marlena stood up and clung to John, hiding her face in his shoulder. Knowing too well how much her mother needed his strength right now, Sami fought the tears stinging the back of her eyes. Then she turned to see Kate Roberts looking as desolate as she felt.

"I'm sorry." Sami heard herself saying, surprising both of them. "I guess I didn't really believe ..."

"That I love that thickheaded Irish cop?" Kate finished for her. "Why shouldn't I?  
Why shouldn't anybody? Has anything he's ever said or done made you stop loving him, Sami?"

" ... I tried." Sami answered honestly. "More than once."

"So did I. No such luck. And nothing I've done ... well ... nothing Roman knows that I've done ... seemed to stop him. And you probably will believe me when I say, that's a first, in my lifetime."

"Kate, he's a detective. Do you really think there's anything Victor could find out about you that my Dad couldn't? No, I never squealed on you. I don't even want to anymore. Believe it or not. I want Will to grow up with a better chance at a happy, safe, normal life than I ever had. Do you think we can work that out?"

Kate was staring at her former daughter in law and long time nemesis. She was staring at a young woman on whom she'd pulled every dirty trick in the book and then some. And she was, momentarily, dumbstruck.. But Billie Reed walked up, just as Sami fell silent and gave her mother a nudge.

"Yes, we can, Sami." Billie answered for her mother. " If for no other reason than because of a man we all love with all our hearts. I can't think of much of anything that would make Raman Brady happier than to know that the women who love him have signed an armistice. And happiness may be the only thing we have left to give him. What do you say, Kate?"

"I say that your former sister in law doesn't really have any reason to believe me, no matter what I say." Kate replied, with equally unsparing honesty. "But what I'm about to say is nothing more than the truth. For Will's sake, and for the sake of his maternal grandfather, Sami, I'd like to bury the hatchet, but in the ground between us, instead of in each other. If Roman knows as much as you think, then he's the best man I've ever known, and I don't want to hurt him anymore, ever. If he doesn't then I swear, when he comes to, when he's strong enough to take it, I'll take my chances and tell him, myself. Can we deal on that basis?"

Kate held out her hand, and Sami studied her face intently. How had she ever thought of Kate Roberts as a coward? Clearly this woman she'd hated for so many years was as fierce, and as reckless about the people she loved as Sami was herself. And she loved Roman as fiercely as Sami did, herself. And now, they stood a terrifying chance of losing him. And that thought sent Sami Brady somewhere she'd never thought to be, straight into Kate and Billie's arms, to weep together. It was a strange beginning, but it was definitely a beginning.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

And then the news of other precious Salemites falling dangerously ill began to circulate. A whole recently 'coined' class of Candystripers at SUMC was stricken. The other team-mates of a young soccer player began to show symptoms. Nurses, PAs, and dozens of other hospital staffers fell ill as the days crawled by. The isolation unit began small and grew into the lower floor of an entire wing. From five beds to ten, to twenty ... to fifty, it grew, as the number of sufferers grew.

But when two weeks had passed since the first reported case, that number began to shrink, in the worst possible way. As elderly, infants, school age kids, teens and more and more adults became ill, the number of deaths grew even faster. By the third week in July, out of one hundred known cases that were either identical or similar to the killing virus, thirty had died.

The only thing the doctors and nurses, aides and technicians at SUMC seemed to have pinned down so far about the virus that was striking so many of Salem's children and elderly was that it had a deadly short incubation period. The only thing that saved more children's lives was that most schools were not in session. And when the incidence of this illness showed a dangerous increase among students at the only year-round school in the area, the Health department moved swiftly to close its doors.

First the county and then the state health officials issued warnings to the terrified parents and adult children of senior citizens in Salem. Those on vacation out of the county were sternly advised to get checkups where they were and to remain where they were. Those who showed any symptoms more serious than the mild flu strain that was confusing everyone, were told to literally stay at home.

Meanwhile the local water sources, truck farms and food suppliers in general were checked against the possibility of a bacterial virus. Despite the losses they would suffer, many businesses closed their doors for the duration, including The Blue Note, Tuscany and the Brady Pub. During the worst part of the crisis, the local libraries, theatres and concert parks closed as well. Then almost all flights into or out of Salem's airport were cancelled and Salem resembled a western 'ghost town' more than it did a small, lively city.

Some good news filtered through Salem though. Even as more people became ill, a surprising number began to slowly recover. And this was no more predictable than the numbers who fell ill and died. But the local labs, with help from Haz-Mat teams from CDC finally arrived, helping in the search for a source and a cure. Billie showed flu symptoms, but that turned out to be all there was to it, in her case. Abe was under the weather for a few days and bounced back. Eric Brady came home and seemed to fall ill within hours, only to regain some strength. And for a few days that gave many Salemites some hope, Roman Brady seemed to be on the mend.

In the meantime, John sent Belle, Mimi, Shawn, Zach, Theo Carver, and Cassie out of Salem since none of them had shown the least sign of the illness. But despite Cassie and Marlena's tearful pleadings, Rex stayed behind, surprising everyone with his determination to help find out what brought on this deadly illness. The next day, part of the young man's reasons became clear, Rex brought Tony Dimera, feverish and with considerable trouble breathing, into the ER.

While Rex and Cassie's father insisted he was suffering from a recurrent allergy based asthma attack, neither Craig Wesley, who had demanded that Nancy and Joy fly to Florence to stay with Chloe, safely on the other side of the Atlantic, or Marlena took him at his word. They were right, Within hours, Tony was on a respirator, in the isolation ward, just across from his one time enemies, Roman and John. When he grew a bit stronger, the three unlikely invalids were heard to have quite a laugh at each other's expense.

But then the worst news of the month spread like a shockwave. Alice Horton was desperately ill, and had been found, barely conscious when Hope and Bo paid their usual morning visit. The looks on everyone's face said the same thing. If the matriarch of Salem could be struck down, the town itself was in danger of dying. But for a short while, they seemed to get a reprieve. Not only Roman, but Tony, John, Carrie, and Austin, who walked into ER on his mother and sister's arms, seemed to improve. Hope stayed under observation for one night and seemed fine the next morning, to the great delight of her husband, and her far away father and sons.

Doug Williams was one of the many who frantically called everyone he knew in Salem, to reassure himself that his friends and family were safe and well. Another caller was Sandy Horton, Tom Jr's daughter who had been gone for a long time, and she was at the Center the next morning. And Bill Horton simply refused the admonitions of his brother Mickey, or anyone else in town and arrived from Israel with Laura and Mike in tow.

Everyone on staff was frustrated to have more potential victims, and relieved to have more help, Marlena hugged Laura warmly and took her immediately to see that Abby was feeling weak, but better that morning. A carefully suited up Jennifer sat by her daughter and cried with relief when her mother appeared. But it didn't take Laura more than a second to note Jenn's high color and hectic pulse.

Bill conferred meanwhile with Craig, Sandy, Lexie Carver and others on staff, and was glad to hear that no new cases had appeared in Salem in three days. It was now the end of the third week of the crisis. In Salem and the county area, a total of one hundred sixty one people had become seriously ill, while another thirty eight seemed to have come down with nothing more than an odd summer's flu bug. But there was still no answer from their own labs, the ones in Chicago, or the CDC in Maryland.

That weekend, despite new help from friends and outside volunteers, those who had already fallen ill, and some who had simply exhausted their reserves, took a downturn. Wendy Reardon Carver, who had rushed back to Salem with Jonah, leaving Benjamin in her grandmother's care in New Jersey, had what seemed like an asthma attack, but for precaution, she was kept overnight for observation. Then when Abe came to pick up his wife for a few hours away from the Center, Lexie collapsed. She was in isolation as fast as Abe and Jonah could race the guerney she lay on. But the virus seemed to have fed on the last of the young doctor's reserves. With Jonah, Wendy and Celeste practically holding him up, Abe kissed his wife goodbye for the last time. No one who saw her face could have doubted that Alexandra Perrault Carver died with more regrets than she had breath to speak.

And for some reason no one could explain, much less understand afterwards, that death seemed to topple a long, sad line of 'dominoes'. Abigail Joanna Deveraux fell asleep in her grandmother's arms, and never woke up. Bo Brady came to comfort his cousin Jennifer and check on his wife, Hope, but complained of losing sleep and an unfamiliar loss of appetite. With Hope clinging to his hands, and raining kisses on his face, Bo died the next day. Billie stood on the other side of the curtain, looking away from the bed where her strong, kind, loving brother lay gasping for breath. Jennifer seemed to slip away inside herself, when she knew Abby was gone. She didn't really fall into the catatonia Laura had suffered, she just couldn't seem to raise the energy to look around, to speak or to respond. When Bill came to bring the saddest news of his life to Laura, that Alice had left them behind, Jenn still made no response, except to refuse any further medication or treatment they offered. That made it only a matter of time, and before Sunday night became Monday morning, their daughter was gone as well.

All these things, Sami only learned at second hand, as Marlena, John, Lucas and even Kate sternly forbade her to enter the Medical Center. Their messages to Sami differed only slightly. If she didn't know better, she'd think they planned their speeches together.

"You have a son to raise." Kate told her, with a tone that made it clear her hazel eyes were flashing. "He's gone through enough. He needs you, and he needs you strong and well."

"Yeah."

"Sami, your mother is nearly at her wits end." John said bluntly. "She needs you to be the last thing she's worried about right now. I don't mean that to sound cold. And I think you know that."

"I know."

"Sweet girl, I know this is horrid for you, for all of us. Sami, You know I believe we'll find the answer, find the cure any mo,ment, we just have to., with so many people helping us. And this is how you're going to be helping."

"How, Mom?"

"By keeping in touch with your sisters, and your aunts. And when they open the airport again, Sami, I want you on the first plane to LA. I want you to hold your little boy and keep him close. Knowing that you're doing that is all I could ask. Please, Sami?"

"Yes, Mom, I will. I promise." Sami said, biting back her desire to say, 'but please, mom, please, don't get too tired, don't get sick now. please, I need you.'

"Sami, you're mom's right and this time so is mine." Lucas told her. "Will needs you, and ... Damn it, Sami, you're going to make me say this, aren't you?"

"Say what, General?"

"I need you too." Lucas answered in a very quiet tone.

"Well, it took you long enough." Sami tried to tease back.

"Yeah, it did. But what about you,?"

"What about me, Lucas? I might as well be in quarantine myself, here. I'm about to go bonkers, sitting and waiting and trying to keep everybody who isn't here from going bonkers, too. Lucas, you didn't hear the news today, did you?"

"News? No"

"Last night, My ... Lucas ... my Dad ..." No matter how many times she tried, Sami couldn't make the rest of that sentence leave her throat.

"Ohg-d, Sami! I'm so ... I'm so sorry, babe.. I guess they didn't tell you, either."

"Bill ... Bill Horton died. And of all people in the world, Laura and Mike called to tell me. Can you beat that?"

"Oh no! Lucas, I Lucas, I'm sorry, too. And Im sorry I didn't , Okay, hold onto your helmet, General. Please, Lucas, please ask Will to stay out there a few more days and come home. I - I need you."


	6. Chapter 6

**part 6**

Sami's nightmare is paraphrased here from one of the later episodes of Quantum Leap, penned by the gifted Stephen Cannell

Later that same day, Sami woke up from a nightmare she could only pray had no basis in reality. She'd been dreaming that she was walking down the long, cold corridors of the lower floors in the medical center. And the only light seemed to be coming from behind her back, and from a doorway far ahead. It was too dark, in her dream to read the department name over that door. But Sami knew without seeing, what it said, and she tried with all her strength to stop walking towards the hospital's morgue.

No matter what she did, or thought, or said in the dream, her feet refused to obey her mind. It would have been like a scene from a summer scream-flick, except that it was too vivid and much, much more frightening. Helplessly, Sami approached the doorway, with the lights on the other side framing it. Without being able to stop, she reached out and opened the heavy door.

And just as she stepped inside, with the door behind her flung wide, Sami saw an impossibly long row of tables, each one bearing a still figure hidden by long, wide hospital drapings. These were the same faded teal as most of the scrubs surgical workers at SUMC wore every day. With the strange far-sight of dreams, Sami could read the names fixed to every table, Bo Brady, Abby Deveraux, Sandy Horton, Lexie Carver, Austin Reed, Jennifer Deveraux, Alice Horton Roman Brady, and all the others who had lost their fight with the horrific disease, lay shrouded, waiting for their final rest. But these were on the left side of the huge room. A compulsion like that which moved her down the hallway, now turned Sami's gaze to her right. And there she found another, seemingly even longer line of shrouded tables, and unmoving figures.

Sami wanted more than anything to scream, but with a terrifying similarity to the consequences of her accident a year ago, she couldn't make a sound. And she couldn't tear her eyes away from the charts identifying these other dead. But, she argued bitterly with her dream-self, the names on her right were of people she knew were still sound and well, even recovering or, best of all, far away, untouched by this plague and out of danger.

As if the dream gave her superman-x-ray vision, Sami looked through the cloths covering the figures on her right. And at each face revealed, a fresh knife seemed to cut at her heart. Here was Mike Horton, and next to him her sister Carrie, beyond them lay Jeremy, who waking, Sami knew was safe with Robin, far away. And as she went helplessly on, Sami saw Victor, Vivian, Kate, Billie, Hope, Shawn, Julie, Phillip, Mimi, Cassie and Belle, Tony, Rex and Greta, Steve Johnson and his sister, Adrienne, Jeannie, Stephany and Andrew, ... on and on, with no end in sight, she seemed to almost glide past these friends and foes who weren't and couldn't be lost, not to the disease raging in Salem But as she came to what seemed to be the end of this silent row, Sami's heart froze in her chest.

Four more tables now stood directly in front of her, and she couldn't keep her hands from reaching to uncover the figures laying on them. First was the man she'd grown up thinking to be her father, and who, Sami knew had been just as torn by the truth as she was herself. John Black lay at peace, but with what seemed a confused frown on his face. And not really surprisingly, on the table beside John's Sami found Marlena, with the signs of exhaustion and grief starkly on her face, and one hand out as if to reach for her husband. Tears poured down Sami's face, and she paid them no heed.  
But then she realized that the figure on the next table, closest to her left hand, was that of a child. Her mind raced, and her spirit fought but still she reached and pulled back the sheet to reveal a ten year old boy with dark, sun colored hair and a freckled face. Never in her life or his had Sami seen her son this still, and she screamed without sound, denying that Will could be lost to her. Surely, she argued with the dream as it went on, this must be the worst vision you have to give me, real or not, present or future ... nothing could be worse...But there was one last table, bearing one last silent form, and without moving, without touching, without lifting the drapery, she knew who lay here despite all her hopes and fears, prayers and dreams. "Lucas!" Sami cried out, waking herself, "Lucas, No! Please G-d, No!"

"Sami, Sami, its okay" Lucas answered her, one hand on each shoulder, pulling her into his arms. "Sami, I'm here, wake up, baby. C'mon, now."

Sami pulled back only a little way and stared at Lucas Robert's open, confused, and worried expression, and then let him pull her back into an embrace.  
"L-Lucas, it was so real! It was so oh g-d it was so real! Everyone, everyone died, everyone: Mom and Dad, John, Eric, Tony, Jenn, Kate, ... Carrie, Mike ... and Will, and ...and You!" she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Sami, Sami, I knew I shouldn't have left you here alone." Lucas murmured into her hair. "But I'm here now. And I need you to listen to me, now. Look at me, babe, and listen to me: Cos Will's fine, he's just fine except for missing you like crazy. He's gonna call you as soon as you're awake enough to listen."

"He's okay? Lucas, our baby's okay? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure Will won't like you calling him a baby." Lucas said, essaying a smile. "And I'm sure I was just on the phone with him when I pulled up to the apartment building. And I'm pretty dam sure I'm as healthy as ever, especially with you back in my arms."

As if on cue, Sami pulled away, "You might want to put a lid on that, General." she laughed. " I don't really think this is the time or place ..."

Now Lucas couldn't help laughing at her odd spells of conventionalism. "Well, I've still got a key to the Titan photo lab. You still prefer tile floors, Ms Brady?"

"You're still incorrigible, Mr. General Roberts. Now, tell me again about Will, how is he?"

"And here I thought you were cryin over me, Sami Brady. Will is great, he's bugging the heck out of Andrew, and thinks Phillip is the kewlest guy in the galaxy, which I have to say didn't help my ego a bit!"

"Phillip?" Sami asked, dodging the remark about her tears.

"Victor flew him and Brady out to LA, not long after Nicole died. Seems as though she'd taken a flyer to help in Noelle Curtis' office, when her assistant fell ill. I think she needed to be around kids, since she knew for so long she'd never have one of her own. I guess I would have cheered once, but now I only wish her the peace she never found. Phillip came by last week with a stack of DVDs and games and every expensive toy Will has asked for in the last five years! So, yeah, your son thinks my brother totally rocks! And it doesn't help that Phil gave the kid a T and a marine cap from Quantico! The upside is, when John called me, and said his jet was grounded here, Victor sent me back in his. So here I am, babe, the man of your dreams."

Sami shuddered. "If you'd seen that last dream, you wouldn't want to say that. You talked to John, he's okay?"

"As of five minutes ago. So are Tony, Carrie, Hope, Mike, my mom, Laura, Maggie, Mickey, the other half of that soccer team, Billie, a whole lot of folks are getting better by the hour, John said.

Lucas' cell buzzed then and he grimaced. "Yeah, I'm with her John. Yeah? Sure, we'll be there in a flash. Sami, I want you to get up and get ready, The ban's been lifted in the isolation ward, and John wants us over there, asap."

But Sami knew every expression of Lucas' face and this one wasn't happy. "What's wrong, Lucas? Why does John want us to hurry? Why?" she demanded.

Turning back to her with a sigh, Lucas couldn't keep the tears from showing in his eyes, not to Sami. "John wants you to come and ... He said your Mom wants you over there."

Some of the chill from her nightmare returned and Sami shivered. "My ... my Mom?" was all she could get out.

Lucas nodded, wanting nothing more than to keep the woman sitting next to him from any more pain or grief for the rest of his life. But the past month had taught them both how impossible that was.

"Sami," he asked quietly. "Do you want me to wait outside while you get dressed?"

"No, No, Lucas Roberts, I don't want to let you out of my sight, okay?'

"Very okay. Here's your sleeveless top ... Where did you throw your jeans last night?" Lucas stood up, looking around for her favorite, well worn Wranglers.

"In the hamper. And I've been dressing myself for over twenty years, thanks. You said you were going to call Will for me. Please, Lucas. Its the only way I'm going to be able to calm down at all, if I can talk to him."

A moment later, Will's piping voice came over Lucas cell phone and it was the sweetest sound Sami had heard in weeks.

"Can I come home now, Mom? Kim and Kayla said we're probably all going to come back soon. Are you okay. Mom?"

"I am now, little man." Sami answered. "And I'm going over to see how the folks at the hospital are doing. I'll call you in a couple hours, or your Dad will, okay? Miss you like fire, baby."

"Mom!" Will yelped.

"Ooops, sorry, your Dad was just reminding me about that. You come home with your aunts and cousins as soon as they're ready, okay?"

"Yeay!"

"We'll talk to you in just a little while, Will. Try not to run your uncle Phillip ragged, okay?"

"Yeah, Mom, huggz"

"Huggz, Will."


	7. Chapter 7

**part 7**

For the rest of her life, Sami had trouble remembering much about the rest of that day, except for being more grateful than she could say that Lucas was with her. Together, they walked into the Medical Center, and down the hall past ER to what had been the isolation wing. Together they were welcomed by staffers and patients who were regaining their strength after a long siege. And together they followed an unnaturally subdued John Black to a part of the ward at the back.

There they found Rex, Carrie, Kate, Laura, Mike, Abe, Billie, and a newly arrived Cassie and Belle, sitting around the bed Marlena Evans Black lay comfortably propped up in, surrounded by roses and lilacs.. There they all spent the rest of that afternoon and evening, And it was only years later that Sami was able to remember the stories they shared, and the smiles they tried to give each other. But she always remembered her mother's happy, sad, rueful gaze. Marlena claimed that despite a memory almost as sharp as Cassie's she'd forgotten the rheumatic fever she and her twin shared as little girls, along with both kinds of measles, chicken pox and mumps. The flaws that left in the Evan's girl's hearts were nearly undetectable as they grew up. But it was serious enough to make a dangerous combination with the virus that leveled Salem that summer. When added to the physical and emotional exhaustion of the month now drawing to a close, Craig Wesley concurred with Marlena, it was an obstacle the psychiatrist could not overcome.

"But I'm not sad." Marlena told her daughters, after asking for a moment alone with Sami, Belle and Cassie. "No, I'm not. Because I see all of you standing here, well and strong, so I know you will be with the ones we all love here, for a long, long time. Women are much, much better survivors then men, in most cases. We have to be, or the species would just plain disappear. But what we don't have to be, and what I hope you know I've never claimed to be, are a choir of saints and angels. I'm not, and I never have been.

Sami will remember what I'm talking about when I mention the fact that I once made a choice that hurt everyone I love for years afterwards. I still am not sure why. At the time, it seemed to be out of nothing but love. Now, I think it was more like selfishness, and your namesake, Belle, was the only one wise enough to call me on it. Isabella had a great big heart, but she also had a fine intelligence. You can see that in Brady. Cassie, sweetie, I can't begin to tell you how much I regret not being with you, and not getting you away from that awful place where you and your brother grew up. But as far as the mistakes I made in my life, I guess I'm glad you weren't here to feel the effects the way your sisters did.

My girls, I'm going to ask you only one favor today. And that's to take very, very good care of our guys. Will you, please? They need us, not to control them, or pretend to be superior to them. No, not at all, John and Brady, Rex and Will, Phillip and Lucas need us to be the best, most compassionate, most stringently honest, most caring persons we can be. Sounds simple, huh? No, I know you all know better. It's a lifes work all by itself. What makes it easy though, is that we already love them like crazy. What will make it even easier is for you all to remember how very much I love you, too. Will you? Sami, Belle-baby, Cassie, will you?"

"We will, Mom. We love you." they chorused, surprising themselves, just a little.

Marlena sighed, and touched their faces in turn." I'm so proud of all of you, of all my kids. I know exactly how brave you've all been through this. And I know, this is hard, and its so awfully unfair. But I know how strong my girls are. So remember; We're Evanses, and nothing can ever really keep us down."

After she embraced her mother, Sami led Cassie and Belle out of the makeshift room. Marlena Evans Craig Brady Black died in her husbands arms only a few hours later. Sami recalled the rest of that day, night and week as a painful blur. Events were moving swiftly in

 a positive direction now, the vaccine so many had struggled to create was dispensed. The survivors were growing constantly stronger. And with the disease finally under control, Salem itself revived, to a minimal extent. But with so many deaths, and so many funerals and memorials, there was hardly any time to think about anything else. The final count of lives lost to the virulent virus, was 58 out of 127 cases reported. The smallish, vibrant Midwestern town would never be the same.

Sami, Kate, Cassie, Belle, and Tony kept a hawks-eye on John as he once again became a widower. Kim and Kayla, Phillip, and Shane were soon home again, bringing Will, Doug and Julie, Robin, Jeremy, Andrew, Stephany and Jeannie. Hope and Billie seemed to become inseparable, mirroring the early days of their friendship, and their shared loss. The same thing seemed to happen between old foes, Kate and Laura Horton, to many people's surprise. Rex was greatly changed, too, less volatile, more caring, perhaps because the loss of one parent and the near loss of another. And Mimi hardly needed any nudging at all to run into her young lover's arms when she came back to town with her mother. Victor on the other hand, was reportedly touring the Greek islands where he grew up. And Brady said he felt the need to go with his grandfather, who seemed inconsolable after the deaths of his first born son, his young wife, and his long ago lover.

All these changes Sami seemed to see through a filter, or a haze. Nothing quite seemed real to her, and every once in a while she felt a whisper of hope that she'd wake up to find the whole summer had been another bad dream. But mostly Will kept her rooted in real life and the constant mysteries it held for a ten year old boy. And mostly Lucas kept her from being or feeling alone, just as he'd promised. They were changed, and changing too. And some days it scared the hell out of Sami, other days Lucas had the same reaction, and on still others, they agreed that they were, in Will's parlance, weirded out.


	8. Chapter 8

**part 8**

The people who had stood and prayed together at the burial service, now crowded into a fondly, painfully familiar setting. This was The Brady Pub, and, surprising not a few people, her grandparents had left ownership of the place to Samantha Gene Brady. But matters of that kind were put aside today, as a sort of post-wake was held, to remember and mourn and cheer together those they had lost, and those who remained.

Tod and Noelle Curtis led the singing that began almost without anyone thinking. Friends and neighbors had slipped into the Pub earlier to make sure a supply of food and drink was there to meet the mourner's needs. And although Sami hadn't expected it to, the maudlin occasion did seem to ease the day's grief a bit.

It was late that same evening, that Sami let herself into her apartment, and sat down with the photos and other mementos she'd brought home as her share. And among them was a letter in Caroline Brady's fine copperplate handwriting that came to Sami a few days before, with the explanation, and the legal paperwork.

"We know you learned all the secret family recipes before you were as tall as the pantry shelves in our kitchen. And I know that what I didn't teach you how to cook, and bake, your father did. And we know that no matter what your future holds, you won't give up the name Brady. You've always been as proud of it as we are. So, you are the one to take that name, and our family traditions into that same future for all of us." Caroline had written, so that there could be no legal mix-ups or misunderstandings. Then, on a separate page she'd left a message for Sami alone to read, and share with others only if she wished.

After reading it once herself, and sobbing helplessly for almost an hour, Sami called Lucas over and read it to him, and Will.. Together they piled onto the new sofa Lucas had insisted on buying for Sami's apartment, when the old model sagged all the way to the floor. Will climbed into his favorite spot, neatly perched on both his parents at once, and Sami didn't even squirm when Lucas put his arm around her shoulders.

"Sami, " Caroline had written when she was diagnosed. "I don't know how much longer G-d is going to give me to deal with the good and bad in my life. That's why I'm writing these notes to all of my best beloveds. And I guess you may be surprised that I include you.  
That surprise is my biggest failing with you, my darling girl. You brought so much light and joy into our lives and I so rarely tried to let you know ... That was wrong and I must take what time I'm spared to make it right.

I loved you, and your grandfather loved you from the moment we knew you and your brother were on your way to us from heaven. I loved all the hours, day and night you played in my kitchen and sang at Sean's old piano in the den. I loved seeing you grow up into such a fine, strong and brave woman. With all my heart, Sami, I love you still. And because of that, I want nothing but a long and happy life for you, for you and your child, for you and his father. My heart tells me now that I should have helped you find your way back to Lucas long since. And for that, I'm deeply sorry.

Please, give yourselves a chance, and I'm just old fashioned enough to say you should do it for Will's sake. But I'm new fashioned enough to say you should do it for each other. Sami, I've seen Lucas in and out of the Pub for the past nine years. and only when he was sure of your friendship and affection was he the strong, fine, brave young man Lucas is at his best. Otherwise he was sad, shaken, and empty, and so were you. I'm your grandmother and long time friends with his grandmother, so I get to say these things. We've all made choices in our lives we would take back, we've all made mistakes, even in the name of love. But neither your uncle Bo, bless him, or your sister, Belle, or your own son, who I love to call Liam, as it was my father's name, would have come to be at all without deep, real love. And with love, all things are possible, even trust, even affection, even forgiveness.

Your grandfather came to forgive me for what I did out of loneliness and love. Your dear father finally did come around to forgive Marlena for what she did out of I suspect the same reasons. You and Lucas can and will, I believe, come around to forgive each other, if you want the life together that I'm positive you do. I'll pray that you find the way there. And I'll always love all three of you, my darlings, even though I may be out of view. I'll never be out of reach, anymore than the love of G-d Himself. Only ask Him to help you be the best, most compassionate, most loving persons you can be, and He will that, and more. And if you ever forget the recipes, well, the truth is, so did I, sometimes, so I taped my recipe cards inside a family album, just under the spice rack.  
Deosil,  
Caroline Moira O Halloran Brady."

"What's geshill" Will asked, trying to get the Gaelic word.

"Blessings, Well, not literally, I guess literally it means sun-wise." Lucas answered, drawing an astonished look from Sami.

"I read up on it, once." Lucas told her, shrugging.

"Why, Dad?"

"Yeah, why, 'Dad'?" Sami echoed.

"Caroline gave me her granddaughter's hand in marriage." Lucas said, with a nearly straight face. "Hey, you read the letter, she' did everything but sign out the marriage license!"

"Lucas Roberts, my grandmother said she was proud and pleased that I've kept the name Brady. What in the world makes you think I would now turn around and practically slap her in the face by changing it to yours or any other man's?"

"Well, I suppose we could go the hyphenated route. Lucas and Sami and William Roberts-Brady, that's kinda cute, I like it." Lucas grinned and gave himself away by the glint in his dark eyes.

"If anything it would be Sami and Lucas and William Brady-Roberts. It just makes more sense, it sounds better, and its alphabetically correct." Sami retorted, realizing he was trying to make her laugh and adamantly refusing to cave. "And since you have never even so much as proposed to me, Lucas Roberts; I can't imagine why you'd think it would be either one!"

"I haven't ... Darn it, Will, I knew we forgot something. Where' you put that note I told you to tuck away for awhile?"

Grinning as widely as his father, Will pulled out a much folded sheet of paper and handed it to Lucas just as Sami made a grab for it. She won this round, smirking and opening the paper to read :  "My dearest lady, I realize this time of sadness may not be the most appropriate occasion on which to announce my heretofore hidden affectionate emotions, the strength of which I have fought to keep from you until a fitting time had come. However, with the crisis just passed, I feel I must speak now, and learn if I can ever be blessed with a return of such emotions from your lovely soul. I have loved you pure and chaste from afar ... Lucas!" she yelped, fighting an urge to laugh, "You're mixing metaphors and everything else ... Rhett Butler was no Don Quixote! Didn't you ever see that old clip of Gable trying to sing? He was awful!"

"It got a laugh, didn't it?" Lucas smirked.

"Maybe, just a little one." Sami agreed, trying and failing to frown at him.

"So, don't' I get points for trying, not even an E for effort, here? Sami, you and I both know that we can't push the river. Too much has happened, and too much has changed here, for us and for everyone. I for one want to take things slow, cos I've been burnt before in a rush to the altar, and I'm sorry to mention it, so have you."

"And got the scars to prove it." Sami nodded, "Literally. So, you don't want to rush things, I don't want to rush things ... between us, and Will, what about you, little Sir Liam?"

"You really want to know?" Will asked, his expression so wary that both his parents laughed aloud.

"Yup." they answered together.

"I think you guys should live together for about twenty hundred years and then think about marrying, cos you're both pretty lousy at it. Hey, you asked!"

"Yeah we did. Guess we'll know better the next time, huh?" Sami laughed. "Do me a favor, Will? Never, never be less honest with us than you were just now, okay?"

"No prob. I know you're gonna do the whole marriage gig sometime. Granma Alice told me and she's always right. But I'm beat, so I'm gonna read and go to sleep. Nite you guys." Will told them and dashed out of the room before they could go into hugging mode.

"Well," Lucas said, watching his son the whirlwind vanish into the back of the apartment. "I think that does it, Sami. We're doomed. Gran's never been wrong about a couple ... not in about twenty hundred years."

"Neither was Caroline Brady. And you didn't even have to be related to her. Once she gave you the look, that was it. I don't remember her ever giving us the look, though. Do you?"

"I don't think I was sober enough back then, to say." Lucas shook his head. "She might have put the whammy on us years ogo, but you know, like on timed-release. Aw Sami, don't cry. You don't have to marry me just cos our two guardian angels said so. Do you?"

"I'm not crying about whether or not I'm ever going to marry the father of my son. Anyway, I thought I did that, once already, and I'd never have known differently, if Will hadn't fallen off the pier. Lucas, my grandmother thinks you might be able to love me and forgive me for that ... and the rest ... So, I guess what I don't know is ... Can you?" Sami looked at him with her eyes seeming even wider and brighter blue than ever.

"Sami, my grandmother obviously thought you could love me and forgive me for letting you take the rap for a killing I did, and ... the rest. Can you?" Lucas asked in turn, his own eyes shining.

"Well, it seems to be the trend these days. Hope told me she wouldn't know what to do with herself if she didn't have Zach and Billie with her just now. Cassie and Belle have never been closer than they are now. And Laura ..."

"Laura told me she realized she didn't want to carry all that anger and pain, and shame around anymore." Lucas added. "And my mom said that was the best gift she'd been given in a long time. Tony and John made peace before any of this even started. So, I suppose we might have a chance. Maybe we're all learning what's worth your time and energy and emotions, and what isn't. And maybe, Sami, I think just maybe, we are, worth it."

"Well, Will's pretty bright, maybe we should live together for about twenty hundred years." Sami grinned. " Do you think, you'd like to take a room over the Pub? Have you ever even been upstairs over there? It's really huge and the attic is big enough to be a loft apartment by itself. Or am I pushing the river, again?"

"Maybe, just a little, around the edges." Lucas smiled and pulled her into his arms for a goodnight kiss.

"Fasten your seat belts," Sami laughed, kissing him back. "Its going to be a bumpy life."


	9. Chapter 9

**part 9**

Late the next night, or more like the following morning, Sami woke from a restless sleep and went to check on Will. Then she remembered, he'd begged to sleep over at the suite Kim and Kayla had rented at the Salem Inn, to spend time with Andrew, Stefany and Jeannie. Since his aunts and cousins might be leaving in the coming week, Sami agreed, only to find her son had let Andrew know his plans ahead of time. A ruefully smiling Kim Brady Donovan Collier appeared at their door, in full agreement with Sami's saying she'd surrendered to the inevitable.

Now she was pacing her apartment, clasping a cup of mint tea, and hating being alone as much as ever in her life. Her options were few at this hour, and she counted them over and over: running through a weeks worth of email, flipping through the shows she'd set her cable box to record, playing solitaire on her table or on her monitor, sorting bills, sorting laundry, answering letters from friends and extended family members who hadn't made it back to Salem, bugging Carrie, Mike, or Billie, for company, following Will over to stay with Kim and Kay, or waking up her next door neighbor, less than five hours before Lucas had to get to work. How angry will he be? she wondered. He's said a dozen times lately he wants us to be, at least friends again. How angry can he be if I make sure he knows I only don't want to sit here alone?

Satisfied with that, Sami took her hair out of its practical pony tail, brushed it thoroughly, and drew on a terry-jacket over her blue satin pjs. These were a gift from Belle, and the young designer chose to stud them with glittering Mylar stars and creamy fleece clouds. And, Belle assured her older sister, they were absolutely one of a kind. Sami in fact loved the material and the vibrant design, and wasn't at all unhappy about the way the spaghetti strap top showed off her figure.

In another five minutes she was out her door and standing just outside Lucas' apartment. Why does he still live here? He could afford a lot better with the salary Tony pays, and probably even more with stock options and ... Honestly, Lucas Roberts, sometimes I think I'll never understand you. You're living in the apartment that Austin had for years, that Austin and I lived in as man and wife! Or do you think of it as the apartment Will mostly grew up in?

Sami was about to use the key she kept for emergencies only, when the door swung open in front of her. Lucas was in long black sweatpants and had a grey towel over his shoulders, but nothing more. He looked a bit tired, a bit surprised, but mainly, Sami thought, he looked much more than a bit delicious, and that had nothing to do with the cup of steaming milk he held in one hand. Watch it, grrrlfrnd! she said to herself. You said you didn't want to push the river.

"I lied." she said aloud, surprising both of them.

"About what this time, Sami?" Lucas asked, but his tone was kind, not cutting.

"I told Will that I would be okay by myself tonight. While he went to spend more time with his cousins. He wanted to go so badly, I think Andrew has replaced Phillip as the kewlest guy in his world. So ... " Sami nodded. "I lied to our son. Am I awful?"

"You're awful silly sometimes, but other than that ..." Lucas shrugged. "I don't think you could find a parent on the globe who hasn't told their kids that kind of lie. Sami, he's not going to be scarred for life by this, believe me."

"Oh, good." Sami said, still not moving a step into Lucas' apartment. "So, you couldn't sleep either?"

" Not much. But, Sami, for peets sake, come in out of the hallway. Or do you want our other neighbors to know we're a couple of insomniacs?"

"A couple of lonely temporarily childless insomniacs." she agreed, and let him lead her over to his couch. "Pretty silly, huh?"

"Well, ... " looking at her out of the shadows in the hallway, Lucas suddenly lost his train of thought. Sami and Will had the same effect on him, these days, but for some very different reasons. Everytime he thought he was getting used to the pain and loss of the past summer, looking at his son or at Sami effected Lucas like a shockwave. They were both so vibrantly alive, well and now safe from the monster virus. And they shared a 1,000 candlepower smile, one that Lucas wanted to see only a few hundred times a day.

"Sami, I'm really glad you came over, because you need to know ..."

"What, Lucas?" she asked, her smile dimming, and he couldn't stand that.

"I lied too." Lucas went on quickly, before she could get the wrong idea. "I said I didn't  want to rush things between us. I said that to you and Will. And its just not true. It hasn't been for ... I don't know how long. Way too long, Sami. Last year, almost exactly a year ago, I told you ... I missed us. Well, I still do. I still want us. And I still want you, Sami."

"You want me?" Sami echoed. And as if he could read her thoughts, Lucas realized he'd said too much and too little.

"I want you to be with me, and Will, I want us to be together the way we never have been yet, the way my Gran thought we should be. Sami, I don't know if this scares you as much as it scares me, but we've been through too much, and we've made it through so much, just in the past few weeks! All I could think about in LA was what I should've conked you over the head and taken you with us, with me and Will, and kept you safe. And you're thinking that was just because of Will, of the son we made together and love together and try to share ... But that's not it. I thought it was too, for about the first eight hours.

But then Kayla and Kim corralled me one day when Shane and Phil and Phillip were handling the kids ... and they set me straight. Sami, you most likely know better than I did, before they had that 'sensitive chat' with me, what your aunts went through to be with the men they loved so much. Kayla still tears up when she talks about Steve not getting to watch his daughter grow up. And Kim doesn't have a harsh word to say for Shane, even though they haven't been together for years. They said I showed all the symptoms of being deeply in love, and I tried to shrug them off .But then the second team came in, and Shane and Phil Collier sat me down to make me understand what it feels like to love a Brady woman. That's my condition, Sami, and from what I've been given to understand, there's no cure to be found, anywhere. Only, if there was, I swear to you, I'd never take it. Never, not a drop."

Sami stared at the man now sitting on the couch beside her, and a skeptical voice in the back of her mind silently asked 'who is he and where did he put Lucas Roberts?'  
But out loud she said : " How it feels to ..."

"love a woman with the maiden name Brady. And the woman I love is Sami Brady, I think you've met." Lucas teased quietly, and bent his face over hers, pressing a kiss onto her lips that sent a spark straight through to her deepest core.

Pulling back only far enough to take a breath, Sami stumbled to find the right reply. "So," she began trying for a nonchalant tone. "You say you have this incurable condition, Lucas. Just what do you plan to do about it?"

"Well, seeing as the woman I love is a thoroughly modern, self sufficient and absolutely independent type, and the only treatment I've learned of so far for my condition, is a long term commitment, I thought I'd wrangle a marriage proposal out of her. What do you suggest as the best approach?" Lucas laughed.

"A cold shower, asap!" Sami laughed back, but her heart wasn't in it. In fact, her heart seemed to have a mind and a voice all its own, this morning. She could have lost Lucas forever as swiftly as they had both lost so many precious souls. Her nightmare could have come completely, horribly true, leaving her more alone than ever in her life. She could have driven him away during the wracking grief of this summer season. But she hadn't done any of those things and the plain fact made Sami happier than she had ever thought she could be

again. She was happy and for once in her life, Sami wasn't sure how she would hold on to that feeling, and the man who supplied it.  
She felt shy and scared and knew she was trembling with longing and joy at the same time. But for another first, she knew without any doubt or second guessing at all that Lucas was telling her nothing but the truth of his own sorrowing, recovering heart.

He sat waiting for her genuine answer with what Sami realized was the same friendly patience he'd shown her whenever she'd allowed it, for the past ten years. How could she have missed this warm, longing, caring expression on his face? How could she have passed up the best friend and most gentle lover in her life for anyone else, much less so many who only seemed to care out of their own needs and goals. And how foolish could she possibly be to even think of throwing Lucas away again?

"Well, don't say you didn't ask for it." she whispered.

"Never for a minute." he agreed.

"Lucas Desmond Roberts, I think you must have finally lost what was left of your mind, and with what's happened this summer, I'd hardly blame you. But I think we've learned life is too precious and too fragile to waste in grief and fear and old, dead hatreds. But I look at you, waiting for me to answer your question with a question, and I see someone I should have seen beside me every day... someone I want to see beside me every day of my life. I see the man I've loved for ten years and more without knowing it. I see the father of my son who loves him as much and more than I do, and certainly more than any other man I've been nuts enough to think could take your place.

I see a friend I betrayed and hurt, lied to and stole from, mocked and tormented ... to get what and where and who I thought I wanted. And I see the man I want to marry in the smallest, or the fanciest, the wildest or the quietest wedding this town has ever seen, with my stepfather walking me down the aisle and our sisters and brothers standing up for us, and your mother giving away the groom, and all our friends and family the place can hold, and all the angels we lost this summer, smiling down at us ... And I want to put my Dad's wedding ring on your finger, and tell you and everyone just how I feel today and how I'll feel that day and every single day after. I see my husband, now and for the rest of our days, if he'll just say 'yes'. Will you, Lucas Roberts?  
Will you marry me?"

"Hide and watch." Lucas said softly, "oh, in case you didn't get it, Sami, that was a definite, definitive, unequivocal and absolutely final yes."

They were in each other's arms before another word crossed their lips or another thought spanned their minds. Kissing and holding fast, touching and loving as never before, or at least not in a long time, Sami and Lucas could never say for certain afterwards, when they realized they'd been made aware of a burst of sunshine named William Roberts rushing into the apartment to yelp with joy and pile them

 into a hug.


	10. Chapter 10

**part 10**

Two weeks later, Sami was unpacking her favorite knick knacks and chotzkas, in the family room of the living quarters above the Brady Pub. Some were legacies from both sides of her family and made her eyes well up with tears. Others were handiworks from her son, and framed pictures of what she knew would become the Brady-Roberts family, but no sooner than Thanksgiving. She was about to wipe the dust off a favorite piece of rainbow glass, when someone knocked on the outer door.

"Lucas, why are you knocking? We're engaged for peets sake, did you lose your key again?"

"Are you giving out keys to the place, Sami? Where's mine? And come to think of it, where's my hug?"

Sami turned and laughed, rushing to give that hug to John Black. "Did you come to help me unpack? if not, make yourself comfortable while I at least finish this box." Sami instructed her stepfather.

"I came to see how you're settling in. And to ask if you've talked to Mike, or Laura, or anyone at the Medical Center in the past few days" John said.

"No, I haven't been over there this week at all. What's this about?"

"The CDC issued its final report on the virus. And the ISA is just about to conclude the preliminary part of its investigation. I've been letting everyone not working directly at the hospital in on their findings. And that includes you. Sami, I know you busy, with moving in and getting ready to reopen the Pub and wedding plans, but you have a right to know what we've found."

"John, if you sounded any more serious, you'd be scaring me." Sami told him.

"And that's not what I want to do. Here's the thing though. Both reports point to that dam virus being manufactured, and planted in the local water supply. If we hadn't found the point of contagion and the nature of the bacterial virus when we did, we could have lost hundreds more.  
The bottom line is, someone wanted to kill off the whole town of Salem. Instead they only managed to kill the best ..." John blinked, and Sami knew he didn't want to be seen tearing up, so she looked at the shelf she'd been filling and found something that might chase that mood.

"You know how you always find things you're not expecting to ever see again when you move?" she asked. "Well I found this picture yesterday and ... I think you should give this to Belle. I don't know who took it, but its so sweet."

John took it and sighed, but not as painfully as a moment before. It was a picture someone in the church on Christmas so many years past must have taken and given to Caroline or to Marlena. It showed John gently putting an infant Belle into her mother's waiting arms.

"I'll know you've completely forgiven me for trying to steal your daughter, if you'll accept that from me, John." Sami said quietly.

"I would have thought you knew that was a fact long since, Sami. You were a kid, and we did a bang up job of messing up your life." John told her. "But if you need to hear the words, yes, of course, Sami, I've forgiven you long since. And I feel confident in saying you wouldn't ask me to give you away, taking your Dad's place, if you didn't feel the same way, now."

"You were my Dad, John. You knew it and I knew it for such a long time. If I blamed you then, it was only because I didn't yet understand what it can feel like to lose a child, or even be afraid of losing your child. If someone tried to tell me I wasn't Will's mother tomorrow, I think I'd want to punch their lights out. But these reports, what is the ISA going to do? Who do they suspect? Why would anyone want to kill so many people?"

"There are some suspects. But no clear leads, yet. And we have to follow up fast, because who knows whatever innocent town or city they might target next? Of course the alarm has gone out now, what the hospitals and clinics, nurses and doctors should be watching for. We're fairly certain the original material was produced overseas, and Shane has the European offices spreading the net. Not only that, Tony has offered his own resources to the hunt. I guess he wants to catch the bastards who killed his sister and threatened his children as much as I want to get my hands on the maniac ... Well, now At least there's actually someone to find, to fight and to stop from spreading this horror. It seemed so random, and hopeless ... Now we know better. And I swear to you, the same as I would to your mother and brother, Sami, we'll find them and stop them, once and for all." John's face had grown grim again, and Sami wondered what she could do to help.

"Mom will be glad to know other families aren't going to be devastated, and Eric ... well, I know my twin, He'll be glad to be part of the solution. And so am I. What else can I do, John?"

"Keep safe, hold on tight to your family, open the Pub again, and get married asap." he answered, smothering a cough. "And don't look at me like I'm about fall over, okay? I promised Marlena I'd hang out until I knew you and your sisters and brother were going to make it okay. And I never broke my word to her. I'm not starting now."

"Besides," Lucas added, walking in on them. "Shane told me himself, John's not allowed outside the county line. And Tony offered to lock his brother up in his basement room if our favorite agent tries to take a powder. Hey, John."

"Hey, Lucas. Anybody ever tell you that you have a real gift for raining on other folks parades?" John quipped.

"Many, many people. Many, many times. Mostly her .." Lucas laughed, gesturing at his fiancée.  
"Doesn't she look great, John? Hey didn't I hear there's an old family tradition around these parts of really, really pregnant brides? Sami, we'd better get busy!" Lucas said, and swept his lover into his arms.

"That's on the Toscano-Black side of the family." John snapped back, grinning. "And from the last note I got from Brady, he may be stepping up to the plate. Seems Chloe all of a sudden had a command performance type tour of the Greek islands. And Vic's not giving a peep of resistance. Thank G-d. That would make Izzy B smile from here to Athens!"

"John, you know we're having everyone in the whole fam damily over for a pre-opening dinner, I'm shooting for next month, give or take. At least promise you won't go chasing bad guys until then, okay?" Sami asked her stepfather.

"Not a chance of that." John answered. and bent to kiss her face. "Keep her happy, Lucas, that's all anyone can ask." Then he left as abruptly as he arrived.

"Lucas Desmond Roberts if you even think about ... When I asked you to marry me I didn't' say or hear anything about a pregnancy clause! I have no intention of having our wedding when I'm as big as house with the next set of Brady twins!"

"Twins?" Lucas turned pale, "I thought twins skipped a generation?!"

"Not in my mother's family, Poppa." Sami grinned. "Relax, do you really pay so little attention that you don't know I'm using birth control this time, until the wedding license is at least signed?"

"And then, all bets are off!" Lucas crowed, picking Sami up in his arms and whirling her until they both felt the room spinning. Taking advantage of the loveseat Sami had kept from her grandmother's belongings, Lucas and Sami were enjoying his somewhat early homecoming when a piping voice reached them from the empty Pub below.

"Mom! Mom! Dad had Carrie pick me up, cos he said he had a meeting after work. Mom! Are you asleep up there?" Will called.

Laughing and pulling her clothes back on, Sami walked out to the top of the stairs. "Well, if I had been sleeping, I sure wouldn't be now." she laughed. "Come up, wash your hands and face and help me start supper. Your Dad's 'meeting' has been delayed."

"Delayed, delayed, and delayed again." Lucas mourned, biting his lower lip to keep a laugh in.

"But not cancelled." Sami turned to smirk at him. "Patience IS a virtue."

"Yeah and Patience Brady-Roberts is what I'm going to call our first born daughter." Lucas quipped.

"Patience?" Will exclaimed bolting into the room at his usual calm pace. "Dad, we live in Salem, okay/ But not Salem, Massachusetts! Geesh!"


	11. Chapter 11

**part 11**  
September, 2004

Three weeks later, with help from a crew of once-again healthy Salemites, The Brady Pub was almost ready for its Grand Reopening. After much deliberation, Sami decided that the fewer changes she made to the physical layout and appearance, the better to honor Sean and Caroline, and John, who made it's opening and re-opening possible. But with her stepfather's generous help, and the advice of Kayla, Kim and Hope Brady, Sami updated the kitchen extensively, and hired cooks away from Tuscany and the Penthouse Grill. Her dream was to expand and extend the square footage of the Pub eventually, so that the bar itself was further separate from the main dining area. Her final touch as new owner and operator was to put her head together with design mavens Belle Black, Cassie Dimera and Billie Reed, to liven up the color scheme of the tables and booths. Plaids remained the main theme, but some newer ideas, creative variety, and brighter colors came into play.

It had all taken longer than Sami hoped to accomplish, even with the help of every able bodied friend and family member she could corral, coerce or otherwise bribe with her own cooking, to help. The group, which Belle insisted on dubbing Team Sami's Pub, eventually included Andrew and Stephany, Jeannie and Will, Mike and Jeremy, Robin and Tod Curtis, Noelle and Phillip and Rex, Mimi and Jaimey Cauldwell, Cassie and Belle, Hope and Billie, Lucas and John, Tony and Kate, Laura and Maggie, Mickey and when he returned to Salem, tanned and rested from his time in the Greek islands, Brady with a contribution and a pile of gifts from Victor. Chloe, he explained to his delighted father, would be coming back to finally attend Julliard in a few weeks, and had happily promised to help him reopen The Blue Note.

They were all busy with the last minute polishing, washings and settings, when Shane walked in, grinning at the sight his extended family made, but looking somberly in John's direction. Every voice, including Will's fell silent. There was no mistaking the look the two agents exchanged. There was news on the investigation they were heading, and it wasn't good.

Kim Collier strode up to her former husband and long time friend with a glance that was trademark Brady for: 'If you think you're going to spoil the grand time we have planned my man, think again.' What she said, however was slightly more temperate.

"We've no need for long faces and black tidings, here, Captain. There's a party scheduled for tomorrow evening and I'll thank you not to do or say anything to stop it."

"I wouldn't dream of it, your Ladyship. In fact, in a way, I'm bearing good news. We've found out where and who that bloody virus came from. That is a real break, and the second one we've had in the case, coming only after finding the virus itself and putting the quietus to it. And as I was about to tell John ... Well, you've all been, we've all been torn apart by this wickedness, I would say you all have a right to know. I'm only concerned that knowing might needlessly frighten some of you. Not the kids, they won't remember anything about the maniac that sent this plague. And in this case, I don't think John or anyone else will be sorry to know who it isn't."

"That sounds like my cue, Donovan." Tony Dimera said, strolling into the Pub. "What the good Captain was driving at is that the illness that decimated our town this summer past, was not the work of any Dimera, or any of our ... business associates. In fact, it was done by a pair of men who have done their best to wreak havoc on Salem in days past, and who I'm glad to say I have no association with at all. Oddly enough, one of them was thought to be John's older brother, and the other tried once before to steal away my brother John's wife, letting him believe Marlena had died. Our recent enemies have been identified at last, my friends: A man who has only been known as Orpheus, and a man who harmed many of you here, Lawrence Alamain."

Gasps filled the room as Tony fell silent, and then went round again as yet another pair of former Salemites entered the Pub.

"I'm ashamed to say," Carly Manning told them, walking in on the arm of her tall, handsome son Nicholas. "I'm very ashamed to tell you all that Count Dimera and Captain Donovan are right. My son's father, my recently divorced husband took part in this murderous plan. And I only learned of it when Lawrence wrote to me, describing their revenge scheme. He thought, well, I'm afraid he went more than a little mad when I told him I couldn't stay his wife. He seemed to believe I was leaving him taking our son, because I wanted another man. I didn't. I only wanted the kind of peace and safety that just wasn't possible anymore, with him. Lawrence also seemed to believe I would return to Salem to reunite with Bo. That wasn't true. I didn't, I went as far away from him as I could, but only then did I learn what he'd done. And when he realized I knew... Lawrence James Alamain, took his own life." Carly sighed and then turned towards someone else in the crowd

"' Hope, I'm so sorry we finally met this way. I did love Bo with all my heart, but I didn't want ... I never wished anyone here harm. Please believe me?"

For an answer, Hope Brady rushed across the room the embrace the rival she'd never met before. And Billie Reed followed, offering her hand to the woman who first seemed to stand between herself and the love of her life.

"Billie." Carly said, when she pulled a little away from Hope, "You don't think I've ever forgotten how you risked your heart and your love to find my son and bring him back to me. You had no reason at all to help me then. And I'm still so grateful. My big, handsome son told me he caused you some pain, as well. So we've both hurt you. Can you forgive us?"

"I can. And yeah, I really have to, or I'm not working the Program." Billie acknowledged. "But hey, you gave me a shot at the best man who ever walked these streets. So no, you don't owe me a thing. But this handsome lug here owes me a hug, for sure." Billie reached up and pulled Nicholas into a warm embrace. " You know, it's a good thing you took off for Europe a few years back." Billie told him, laughing. " Cos I have a real problem with guys who are prettier than I am!"

"Shane," Lucas said, walking up to the agent. "Tony said that this guy ... Orpheus was part of this ... Why? Who is he?"

Now John spoke up, pain vivid in his deep-set eyes. "Orpheus was Roman's ISA partner once. When his wife was killed during a fire-fight they had with the KGB, Orpheus blamed Roman Brady. And he was technically right. The woman walked up behind Roman, and he shot, thinking she was part of a KGB ambush. Well, apparently, he was later as convinced as everyone here, including myself, that I was Roman. He decided on a payback. My wife, Marlena's life, for the life of his wife, Adrianna. He captured Marlena and hid her while he blew up our house, letting everyone, including me, think she died inside it. And when I found out his deception, and learned where he'd taken Marlena, Orpheus sent her off in a malfunctioning airplane, and it crashed. I shot him, and believed I'd killed the man. In that, unfortunately, I was wrong."

"Will Orpheus try again?" Sami made herself ask the question that was on every face in the Pub.

"I don't think so." John answered her. "Orpheus definitely got what he always wanted, revenge for Adrianna's death. And Alamain... my adoptive brother, was plainly targeting Bo and his family. But truthfully I'm not glad Lawrence is dead especially not by his own hand. But there might have been a chance he'd come after his ex, maybe even his son, and possibly you as well Kim. Since you had dealings with the man."

"Yeah," Lucas muttered darkly. "He' was probably gloating up to the last that he'd killed Jenn and Abby, and Gran. A guy like that, he probably is furious that Jack was gone before he got here. I'm sorry, Nicholas, Carly. I don't blame you at all, but if you'd seen Jennifer right before she died ... I never knew my heart could break over anyone but Will and his mom, not till then. Tony, John, Shane, , we have to do something. We have to protect our family, now that we know who attacked us."

"I agree completely." Tony nodded. "That's why I've put all my resources, monetary and international as well, at my brother's disposal. G-d knows I understand the human desire for revenge, and have been foolhardy enough to act on it in my lifetime. But to enact it on our elders, our women and children goes quite beyond the pale."

"i couldn't agree with you more, brother. Now, listen to me, all of you." John asked. "I think if we've learned anything in the past couple of months, its this: That no matter what anyone tries, they can't ever defeat the lot of us. It's been hard, and its only going to get easier slowly. But we're none of us alone, and even those we miss so terribly now, are only a 'little way above our heads, waiting and holding our places next to them. I believe that. Because if I didn't ... well, anyway, my point is this: We have many reasons to grieve. We all lost friends, parents, spouses, siblings, and children. But we have many reasons to rejoice, because all of them are beyond fear, loss, pain or sorrow, now. And we have one another, still. That is what matters."

"And we are tracking Orpheus." Shane assured them. "His laboratory was destroyed by, ironically enough, former KGB operatives. You see, he also unleashed his virus in the Ukraine. So if he's foolish enough to re enter any Russian or Russian allied territories, he's dead. And again, if Orpheus even tries to enter the States again, much less come within a thousand miles of Salem, he'll be walking into our trap. It's only a matter of time, now."

"Dr. Manning," Tony said, turning back to the elegant woman talking with Hope and Billie. "I'm delighted to meet you, at last. Will you be relocating to Salem, now?"

"Possibly. I wanted to come much sooner, to help with the epidemic. But they'd closed the airport and all but sealed off the town by then. Perhaps I can make amends of some kind to the people who were always kind to me here, the people my ... Lawrence hurt so terribly. I feel an obligation to do what I can."

"Well," Sami said, "we still have a Pre-re-opening party to get this place ready for tomorrow. C'mon, we can't let these so and sos get us down, can we? They did their worst already, and look, we're here together. Together, we're unbeatable, aren't we?" she asked, turning to find Lucas, across the room, grinning widely at her.

"Together!" everyone cried, and laughed, and went back to work getting ready to reopen the Brady Pub.


	12. Chapter 12

**part 12**

The next night every inch of the Pub gleamed and glowed with the evidence of their hard work. With the unexpected donation from Victor, the bar was declared open, and the kitchen out did itself. Despite the underlying nervousness around the recent news, everyone worked just as hard at enjoying themselves as they had at readying the eatery. But Sami couldn't calm down. She wanted everything to go smoothly, every bite and every drink to be up to her grandparent's high standards, for these people, especially for these people who had brought so much of themselves and their memories here tonight. And most of all she watched her aunts, her cousins and her siblings, most of whom had long memories of the Pub at its best, for their reactions.

"You're going to jump out of your skin." Lucas told her, walking up to put his arm around her shoulder.

"I am if you keep sneaking up on me." Sami protested. "Lucas, I thought you knew how important this night is to me."

"Not as important as tomorrow night, when you've got paying customers." Lucas laughed, and ducked as she swung one of the new menus at his head.

"Very funny. Do you have any idea how much we spent on advertising this reopening? And we have the best word of mouth publicity possible. This place has always been the best casual spot in Salem."

"I disagree." Lucas grinned. "The upstairs here is a lot more comfortable, and I don't need a shirt or shoes to eat there."

"Keep this up and I'll change the rules." Sami said, but his laughter was infectious. "No Generals Allowed."

"Sami, is my son disturbing you?" Kate asked, walking up to the couple.

"Constantly." Sami answered, enjoying Lucas' wide eyed response.

"Then let me get him out of your way for a little while. Laura has some new ideas for the Horton Foundation and Lucas needs to hear them. Go on over and listen to her, Lucas, just because I was okay about your engagement doesn't mean you get to ignore me the rest of your life."

"I don't ... I ... Mom!" Lucas yelled, sounding to both women amusingly like his son.

"You know, I can't believe how often I've said this lately." Sami grinned. "Thanks, Kate."

"Keep it quiet, will you?" Kate laughed. "I'm trying to rebuild my reputation as a tough executive type."

"Oh absolutely. What's going on at Basic Black these days?"

"Glad you asked. We're getting ready for the yearly corporate luncheon, and I want to bring it over here. Those suits and all our new interns could use a relaxed atmosphere. I'm looking at a date before Halloween. How much a plate have you figured for that kind of event?"

"Fifteen dollars a plate, lunch. Thirty for dinner. And that's a discount rate for a family business."  
Sami immediately replied.

"Deal. I'll firm the date and fax you tomorrow. And Sami, if no one else has said it tonight, I think Roman would be smiling all over his face to see all this." Kate said, with a touch of sadness that had never left her eyes.

"I know he would. He had this thing about tradition, I dunno, kinda an Irish hang-up." Sami laughed. Roman had been a major point of their old disputes, but now he'd become the bond between yet another pair of former enemies.

The night went on like that, and Sami's confidence blossomed with the smiles and congratulations she got. So many people she loved, so many people who'd been broken hearted by their losses, and came back whole and hale to fight and love another day were gathered together here that it almost scared her. But the plague was over, they were safe from that threat, at least, and their future, although hardened by grief, was looking better every day.

Looking around the Pub, Sami counted off the happy, healthy faces of friends and kin, treasuring each one in her heart of hearts. Brady had managed to get Chloe here for the weekend. Phil Collier was in from LA, trading tales of the woman they both loved with Shane. Cassie was sitting between Belle, Rex, Mimi and Phillip, looking like she'd never seen this many people happy at once. Liz Curtis and her kids were singing along with a Pub song that Sean had taught every returning customer. Tony was chatting with Nicholas, Hope, Carly, and Billie, and another newcomer, who'd slipped in as quietly as she once entered Salem. Greta was here, Sami realized, hugging Hope, and Billie, and curtseying to the other 'princess' in the room. Lucas, with a mug of straight ginger ale in one hand was gesturing excitedly with the other while he talked to Laura and Will, Kayla and MIke. And Kim was the one who took Sami by complete surprise, when she walked over to kiss John on the cheek and raise her mug of ale, to make a toast.

"Hush, now, all of ye!" she called out, tapping a spoon against her mug. "I'm standing to sing the praises of the people who made this grand night happen. Those who are with us, and those who are lookin' down on our joy and sadness together. My Da and Ma opened this Pub more years ago than some of the young ones here have yet lived. And they did it after a cruel hearted man set their market afire. And they did it with the help of a man I will always, always think of as another brother. It was their dream and their joy for many years after, and we were all blessed to have them walking the earth that long a time.

But tonight, because of this same dear man, who if he wasn't should've been born an Irishman and a Brady, Our beloved brother John, has made it possible for the Brady Pub to live on in joy and pride for many, many more years to come. But even his generosity was not enough to make this night happen, that took the wisdom of my parents, and the determined love of their granddaughter, and as surely as I stand here tonight, that same granddaughter, Samantha Gene Brady"

"Oops," Sami called out, laughing. "Now I know I'm in trouble!:

Hush ye, Lass, Now, as I was saying , my loud mouthed niece over there., has done the most healing thing after this nightmarish summer that anyone could possibly have done for us.. She's brought us all together again, in joy, in song and in love, to re-open and re celebrate our lives and our loves, Together we made the Pub shine with all the love my folks ever put into it and more. Together we restored ourselves and our souls to make this place a home again. And together in our futures, wherever they may take us, will always, always bring us back here, to know that love, and that joy, to share our griefs and our sorrows. To know each other and know our real strength is in each other. And I'm happy to be the one to tell ye, if you haven't already heard, that our own Sami Brady has made her new home here, where my brothers and my sister and I grew up, with her own darling son, and the man she's chosen for her own heart. And that will be the starting up of the grand Brady tradition all over again. Gentles, all, I give you Sami and Lucas!"

Happy chaos now erupted as the whole crowd echoed Kim's good wishes. Lucas was seen trying to duck and cover, but Kayla had him firmly by the collar and soon delivered him to his blushing bride to be.

'Running out on me already?" Sami teased him quietly.

"Me? Not at all. I was just feeling somewhat ..."

"Outnumbered? You are, General, you are. I took a head count earlier, On your side of the families you've got Phillip, Kate, Mike, Robin and Jeremy, Laura, and Billie, and if you stretch a point, Hope and Zach. But on my side I've got Kim, Kayla, Andrew, Stephany, Jeannie, Cassie, Rex, Belle, John, and Shane, And my money's on Tony, Meems, and Greta swinging my direction."

"Oh you've got Tony and Greta? Well, I happen to know that my brother Phillip is winning the heart of at least one of your sisters. So that brings Belle or Cassie over into my camp. That pretty much evens it out, when you consider Tony's my boss and thinks very highly of me., these days. Huh, what are they doing now?"

A clinking, clanging sound filled the room and Sami laughed and shook her head at the crowd, all standing and tapping spoons to glasses.

"Hey, that's for the reception!" she called out. "We haven't even locked down the church yet."

"Have the wedding here!" Cassie called back, laughing. "I hear there's tons of crash space upstairs!"

Sami turned to Lucas who suddenly grinned as a thought crossed his mind. "We could always elope."

"No way, Buster. I've waited all my life for a real, all stops out, high gear wedding to a man who knows me inside out and loves me anyway. So, Lucas Roberts. We're either calling on Tod Curtis to do the deed here and now, or we're tying the knot with every tradition and ritual I can find., on Thanksgiving.., or as close to it as we can get."

"Thanksgiving? Yeah, you mentioned that a couple of times, now. But I don't get it." Lucas admitted.

"Because," Sami smirked, "once our part of that wedding and reception are over, I'm going to make you the most grateful man in Salem."


	13. Chapter 13

**Part 13 or 12b if you're superstitious :)**

In the first month of the Pub's reopening, everything seemed to point to Caroline and Sean's wisdom in handing the reins to Sami. Brady's Pub had always been a popular local spot, but with the frightening summer behind them, Salemites were more eager than ever to touch base with that friendly, familiar, comfortable establishment. And no one even quibbled when the new owner did away with the smoking sections of the restaurant, sending those who used tobacco to a bench at the nearest corner; so intent was the community on promoting everyone's good health. Another change was the promotion

of non-alcoholic beverages, which won the praises of the local AA chapters.

Sami worked hard, and studied hard, taking distance courses from SU, to make sure she was up to date on accounting, marketing and management trends. She was determined to prove herself worthy of her grandparent's trust, and left nothing to chance. She was also determined to keep her promise to Marlena, making sure that her sisters, her brother and the rest of her family were getting on as well as possible. And she gave as much time as she could find or make to plan a quiet, but very special wedding to Lucas. The result was a very tired, and very happy young woman, a frenetically happy Will Roberts, and a fiancé who seemed to be more and more amazed, and not a little concerned.

"Sami, I'm not trying to tell you how to run the Pub. And I'm definitely not trying to tell you how to raise our son. Been there, did that ..." Lucas said, one day while he was deftly massaging a stubborn kink out of Sami's left shoulder.

"But?" Sami interpreted.

"But you hired an energetic, talented and amazing staff for the Pub, and you're still trying to do all their jobs. You wouldn't need my services as a masseur if all this work weren't tying your neck, your back and your shoulders in knots. And then, we could find better ways to spend your afternoons off." Lucas smirked and bent over to nibble on her ear.

"Umm ... uh .. Lucas, quit it. I'd love to do something better with my afternoons off." Sami sighed, turning around just enough to meet his lips coming down to hers. " But this isn't my afternoon off, Lucas. My names' on the license for the Pub, and on the deed my grandparents left me. I have to keep it up to their standards. That is my job, and that's why I don't take whole afternoons off."

"And just how are you going to enjoy our honeymoon, Sami, if you're suffering from nervous exhaustion by then?" he teased.

"Since you refuse to tell me where our honeymoon is going to be, how do I know how much energy I'm going to need, Lucas. Really, don't you think its a little childish to keep that kind of secret?'' Sami asked her fiancé

"I'm not keeping it a secret." Lucas grinned. "Well, not from anyone but you and our motor-mouth son! I can tell you for certain the list of places we're not going, not after our wedding or any other time, if it's up to me."

"Paris." Sami began the list.

"Yeah, definitely not Paris or the countryside around it." Lucas agreed.

"Sicily, Palermo, Naples, Capri, Florence, Rome, or Venice?" Sami rattled off another list, and held back a shudder.

"Nowhere in Italy. Please, Sami, the very word gives me nightmares." Lucas shook his head, visibly remorseful.

"And so it should." she answered, but with a light tone. "Okay, how about England, Scotland, Wales, or Ireland?"

'Nope. Jenn told me it isn't safe for anyone remotely related to your grandfather to go to Ireland." her fiancé laughed.

"Yeah, well finding folks like Colin Murphy over there is certainly not my idea of a good time. How about Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, or the Virgin Islands?" Sami guessed.

"No, nope, no way, no again and they wouldn't let us in, in that order." Lucas laughed.

"Lucas Roberts, you are deliberately making me crazy with this?" Sami cried.

"Oh I know better ways than this to make you crazy, Sami Brady." Lucas laughed and began caressing her neck just below the thick golden braid she was wearing today. "

"Yes you do." Sami agreed and sat up to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling her fianc close for a kiss. "But I still want to know where we're honeymooning? Lucas, don't you get that I need to know what kind of clothes to pack?"

"The fewer the better, gorgeous. How's your shoulder?" Lucas asked.

"Why am I not surprised, General. And its better, thanks. Okay, we've knocked out southern Europe and the British Isles, and the West Indies. The Middle East is a bit tense these days, and you know I have no desire to see Africa, unless of course it was to go to Casablanca." Sami laughed.

"Not today, not tomorrow ..."Lucas grinned.

"But soon, and for the rest of our lives." Sami paraphrased. "Funny, you look a lot more like Bogey than you do like Paul Henreid. And Ilsa didn't' stay with Rick, remember?"

"But we'll always have Paris. Yeah, right, bad choice. Sami, you really should give up and have your shower and a nap. I'm not telling." Lucas insisted, jutting his jaw out to show his own determination.

"If I had the energy to tickle it out of you right now. Then you'd tell me, Lucas Roberts, or die laughing." Sami challenged him.

"No, no way." Lucas shook his head as Sami's blue eyes widened in horror at what she'd just said.

"Lucas, omgd I'm sorry. I didn't mean .." " Sami burst into tears, mostly of weariness and frustration.

"Easy, easy. I know that. See, I told you you're wearing yourself out. Now go clean up and I'll wait right here for you to lie down and fall asleep. How late were you up with the new menus last night, anyway?" her fiancé demanded to know.

"Oh ... umm... " Sami stalled, secretly loving his worrying about her. "Not really very late. I was checking out the kind of kids meals Will suggested, but for something besides hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdogs, brats, fish sticks and pbnjs. Next Wednesday we're going to have a try-out day, so I invited Will's class and some other kids. I suppose we could let a big kid like you in, if you behave yourself and don't start a food fight."

"No fair, no fair." Lucas whined in a perfect Will-voice. Then he smiled and shooed his fiancée off to the shower. Only when he heard the click of the inner door closing, did Lucas pull out his cell and make a call.

"Yeah, Tony? Yeah, its great, she still hasn't caught on. Yeah, I remembered you said it'd be like summer down there at that time of year. I can't thank you enough for the inside information. No, she's never been to Oz or NZed. She'll go crazy, especially when she finds out the currency rates. You're the best. Thanks again. Oh, and I'm going to reschedule that one minor meeting next week, I'm going to be in charge of the food-fight over here. Yeah, it will be great. Later." Lucas told his employer, who'd been remarkably helpful and generous about the younger man's impending nuptials.

No more than ten minutes later, Sami came back out, wrapped in a soft short, white terry robe, with her damp hair held back by a terry hair band. She gave no sign that she had eavesdropped on his call; so Lucas relaxed. Eavesdropping, lying, scheming Sami seemed to have been another casualty of the plague in Salem. Instead, Sami was smiling tiredly but Lucas couldn't help himself from saying the first words that entered his mind.

"You look good enough to eat, Ms Brady." Lucas told her, grinning widely and not a little wickedly, Sami thought.

"And you look a little silly, babysitting your own fiancée." Sami returned. "Lucas, honestly, you don't need to sit with me."

"I promised Will I would make sure you got some sleep this evening. He knows as well as I do that you have trouble sleeping in hot weather, and almost never turn on the air conditioning your grandfather installed up here for Caroline. And he told me you're still crying yourself to sleep some nights. Sami, that's no good." Lucas advised.

"Lucas, two months ago we ... we lost more than half our family. When I'm tired and I've run out of other things to think about, sometimes I still cry for them. And if you say you don't, I won't believe you." Sami told him, jutting her chin out about half a mile.

"Why not?" Lucas asked.

"Maybe because your sister is as much of a motor mouth as our son." Sami giggled.

Lucas rolled his eyes and sighed. But then, vividly enough for Sami to see it, another idea occurred to him. "Go on back to your bedroom." he told Sami with a no nonsense expression she'd seen him use with Will. "Right now, young lady."

"Lu... Okay, anything to humor a crazy man. And at this point in my life, I know that any man who would accept my proposal of marriage has to be nuts." Sami sighed.

"Get moving," Lucas said, swallowing a laugh. "No more sass from you. And no muttering in the ranks."

"Yes, General." Sami said and offered a smart salute as she left the room.

When Sami was in the bedroom that had been hers as a child, and was sitting on the daybed she'd chosen to bring in, she looked up at Lucas, wondering what he had in mind. She wondered even more when he took off his windbreaker and slacks, but only unbuttoned his blue gray shirt and laid down beside her. But Lucas remained silent, only speaking to shush anything she started to say, until he'd rearranged both of them so that his back was against the wall, and his arms were around Sami's waist.

"Now," he said quietly, "go to sleep."

"Don't I even get a nighttime story?" Sami asked, loving his arms around her, feeling safer and more secure than she had in months.

"Yes, but just a short one. Relax and listen, and don't think about anything. No menus, no memories, no kids food, no honeymoon trips, nothing. Okay: Once upon a time, there was a brave young knight named Sir Liam of Melas. His courage, loyalty, compassionate nature and shining honor had won Sir Liam the badge of knighthood at an amazingly early age. In fact the reigning king of that enchanted countryside, was so pleased with Sir Liam's valor, that he made the young knight the champion of his realm.

But as much as this made young Sir Liam of Melas pleased and proud, a shadow of sorrow could always be seen in the depths of his bright blue eyes. And one day Princess Noelle, the daughter of the king was so grieved herself by this youth's silent sadness, that she begged Sir Liam to say what caused him such pain. Princess Noelle, you see, longed to heal all the suffering and pain in her father's realm, because of her kind and understanding heart. As it turns out, Sir Liam was caught in the throes of his first infatuation with the wise and beautiful Princess. He could deny her nothing, not even the secret he kept buried in his brave young heart.

'Kind princess,' he said. 'I think you're the kewlest lady I ever saw. So, because of your neat looks and your friendly heart, I will tell you what I've told none other. Except for my dearest Dad, of course. You see, my Dad is a great guy, but he's done some stoopid things. And if you ask me, the stoopidest was when he chased away the only woman who ever wanted or loved him, for real, no matter what. She's my Mom.

And I'm sad because to this day, they still are apart, and still don't act as though they want to get back together. But I've heard my Dad saying a bzillion times he wished he hadn't chased my Mom away. And I've heard my Mom say ... even though it scares her a lot, she wishes she hadn't taken my Dad at his word, when he got mad, one time. And you see, whenever I ask them, both my Dad and my Mom say I can't understand it, or it's too complicated or something. So I have never found a way to get them to tell each other that they don't want to be apart anymore. And it makes both of them sad, and me too. I wonder, do you know anything, or anyone who could help us?"

Princess Noelle smiled and nodded to the young night. " I do, in fact. I know a powerful, compassionate Mage, and a beautiful, kind Songbird, and a handsome young Cleric, all of whom live at my father's court. The Mage and the Songbird are especially well versed in sorrows of the heart. They once loved each other deeply, and have become the very best of friends, once again. We will go to them at once and they will help us drive this sadness away once and for all.''

With a blink of princessly magic, the knight and his new friend were in the presence of the Songbird named Liss, and the Mage, whose name could not be spoken, until the final Magic was released. Praying in one corner was the handsome Cleric, named after the Songbird's brother. When Sir Liam managed to tell his sad story again, all three of them agreed they must bring their gifts together to set things to rights between his sad, mixed up parents.

The Songbird gave young Sir Liam a shining song, one that would ride in the air before him as he journeyed back to Melas. The Cleric gave the youthful knight a scroll, containing a blessing for each of them, and all of them together. And the powerful Mage, with dark features and deep dark eyes gave Liam a key unlike any ever seen before. It was a key that could only open willing hearts, giving them the chance to live fully once more. And the Mage cautiously instructed young Liam, to present these gifts to both his parents only when they were sound asleep in each other's arms.

''But that will never happen!'' Liam cried, his pain redoubling.

''Ah but it will,'' the Mage assured him. ''The song my lovely Songbird Liss gave you will lull them, the key will open their most hidden hearts, and the blessing will seal their love for the rest of their days. I promise you. I know it is true because the same gift was given freely given me, by your lovely princess' father.

And if that brave soul could find it in his heart to forgive the wrongs done him, and set the gift of his love free again, then I must believe anyone can. And I must believe a gift of this kind must be shared. So, when the magic has worked its will, young Liam, you must tell your dearest Dad and Mom to give the same gifts to others in their sad state. That is the only condition that comes with our love and good wishes. Do you understand, Sir Knight? ''

''Yeah, Cou... I mean yeah, great Mage. I'll take it to them now. Okay?''

''Gdspeed!'' the Mage, the Songbird, the cleric and the Princess cried, as Liam rode out across the border into Melas. As the Mage predicted, the song flew before him, easing hearts and minds all along the way, the key seemed to sing at his belt, too, as it clanged against his shining armor, and the blessings scroll was warm beneath his tunic.

Before he could have a moment to wonder, young Liam was in the garden behind his Mom's new home, and there he found his dearest parents sound asleep on a picnic blanket. As softly as a kitten, Liam stepped up to where the people he loved most lay curled in each other's arms. Then he slipped the key, which had come apart into two identical pieces, silently into their jeans pockets. And last of all, he laid the blessed scroll against their clasped hands. Tired and hungry from his valiant efforts, young Sir Liam grabbed the lunch plate his Mom always left for him, covered with aluminum foil and holding a brat, some coleslaw with grapes and cashews, and his favorite, pickled cucumbers. Reaching for a fork and a bun, Liam proceeded to make his stomach as happy as his young heart. And as the summer day went on, he too fell asleep on the blanket.

But a joyful cry woke the youth and he jumped to his feet to find his parents staring at each other with astonished joy. Tears were pouring down their faces, but they were smiling so widely, Liam of Melas decided this must be a good thing. As usual, both his Dad and Mom were talking a mile a minute, but happily, not angrily. The most Liam could understand was the constant repetition of 'I don't believe this', 'Do you really mean that?' and 'I wanted to tell you for so long!'

By the time his parents realized Liam was there, watching them, he was smiling as widely as they were, all the sadness and wariness in his gaze long gone. They clasped him in their arms and kissed Liam so many times he couldn't help squirming. But their faces showed more happiness than he'd ever seen before today. So young Liam knew the magic had done its deed.

Only when the young Cleric had arrived in Melas, accompanied by Princess Noelle, the Songbird and in great secrecy, the Mage, as well, and the ceremony reuniting his parents in love and joy was witnessed and completed by hundreds of cheering friends and kin, did young Sir Liam of Melas relax. And only when he knew it was more than the magical gifts that had brought Sameach and Lugh together again, it was their own loving hearts, did young Liam tell them the magical story. He knew they might not all always be as happy as they were that day, but they would always be as one open heart.

Turning as he left the garden where the ceremony was held, Liam turned and saw the wise Mage smiling and winking at him from behind the flowering hedgerow. "Thanks so much." he said to the dark, older man. "Thanks, kind Count Antony."

"No, young Knight, my thanks go to you. You have made my own old heart light as a child's, seeing the love of those two, and the sadness chased away from your eyes. And by saying my name aloud in this sunlit place, you have released a great many dark ghosts from my soul. Love is the greatest magic of all, young Liam. Never forget that, will you?" The Mage/Count asked.

"I won't forget. But won't you come to the party? My mom's the best cook in three kingdoms." Liam boasted.

"With your kind invitation, I surely will." The Count agreed, bowed and vanished again.

They all celebrated that day, together, chasing many shadows from their lives. And every year after on that same day; they came together to share their joy and the magic of their love, once more."

Lucas knew that Sami had fallen fast asleep half way through his storytelling. So it surprised him just a little, making him smile, when Sami spoke in her sleep.

"The magic of their love," she murmured. "Once more."


	14. Chapter 14

**Part 14**

The week before Halloween was one of the busiest the reopened Brady Pub had seen. The kitchen was going practically 24/7 with the bakery sideline Sami had decided to open before the holidays set in, becoming a huge hit. For that, Sami thanked a new friend and colleague, introduced by Tod Curtis, her name Rivka Cooper, her skill as a baker phenomenal. In the multiethnic neighborhood the Pub was a big part of, Rikva's breads, torts, cheesecakes, and perfect, chewy bagels in a multitude of flavors became even more popular than they had been at her small self-owned bakery around the corner.

And today the Pub's dining area was reserved for the yearly luncheon of Basic Black employees. Luckily, it was just large enough to hold the two hundred+ attendees, including Belle, Kate, Billie , John, and a few of their closest friends. The Pub fairly hummed with the happy reactions of BBI's newer staffers. The kitchen handled their requests like clockwork and the waiting-staff impressed everyone with their smiling, efficient courtesy. When they had satisfied their appetites, Belle nudged Kate, who nudged John, who nudged Billie. Finding noone one her immediate left to nudge in turn, the songstress/temporary public relations officer for BBI stood up and grinned directly at Sami and her aides.

"In case anyone couldn't tell by the groans and grins coming from this crowd of my colleagues," Billie announced. "This event has been a huge success and it wasn't even my idea! But this is: I think this motley crew, under the guidance of a woman I've literally known all my life, should repeat this glorious gathering at this very Pub, at least three times a year1 But that's not up to me. Sami, what do you say?"

Sami was trying to follow Lucas, and John and Rivka's advice to manage where necessary, but delegate where possible. So she'd been taking comment slips from the crew when Billie first stood up. Hearing her name, the Pub's owner-operator turned and smiled. "Why not once a month?" she laughed, as John and Kate raised eyebrows.

"Works for me." John said, smiling broadly at his stepdaughter. "And I have close ties to the CEO. These folks work their executive and executive in training tails off. I don't mind in the least celebrating that fact. Can we budget the time, Kate?"

"The time, probably not." Kate laughed, "I've never known any other organization that ran so close to a deadline. The money, sure, so long as its not coming out of my 401K. But hey, I like a party as well as the next .. uh .. person. So its a deal. Once a month, we'll take over the Brady Pub, but just for lunch. I don't think my carb-limit could survive another piece of cheesecake, much less dinner!"

"Don't worry, Kate." Billie told her in a stage whisper. "I'll sneak some home for you!"

"Don't do me any favors, darling!" Kate rolled her eyes in just the way Sami had seen Lucas do a thousand times.

"Okay, you know I love you all." Sami said, laughing as she walked up to the main table. "But it's already 2:45 and we've got to get ready for the people who are coming to dinner, not to mention the after school rush. Will's already got all his friends coming over practically every day. Jorge and Renny, Tim and Jean-Paul, and Ben Reardon, who is already in junior high, too. Omig! What am I going to do when Will's that age?"

"Take a lot of deep breaths and monitor your blood pressure every day." Mike Horton answered, drawing more than just Billie's smiling gaze as he walked into the Pub. "Oh, you think I'm kidding? My kid is already talking about where he wants to go to college!" The young physician, who had been more than happy to stay in Salem after the crisis passed, scooted onto the bench next to Billie Reed, who glowed more brightly in his presence than the brass railings around their booth.

"Oh, poor Daddums!" Billie teased, but her eyes hardly left the face of the man who was mending the rift in her heart. And she didn't care who knew it. Carrie had left for Europe over a month ago, to spend time again with her jet-hopping mother, Anna. Nothing was asked and nothing was said, but clearly the passion between her and Mike had died out sometime before they returned to Salem. And not a few of the people who had known Carrie longest doubted for a moment that her heart had broken at the death of Austin Reed, not the death of her turbulent affair with Michael Horton.

"C'mon, you motley crew!" Kate called out. "We've been given our marching orders, as my middle son likes to say. Everybody who managed to remain sober, get back to work! Yes, my dearest and only daughter, that means you, too."

"But Mom!" Billie yelped in a pitch perfect imitation of Lucas imitating Will.

"But nothing. I don't get to go home until I've signed off on the new designs from BelCas. That means I need your discerning eye. When those two get some of their wild ideas, I need to hear from someone who can tell me if I'm being too ... conservative in my judgements. And that means you." Kate demanded.

"No rest for the wicked." Billie laughed, and leaned down to place a quiet kiss on Mike's lips. "Call me, please?"

"No problem. I'll come to rescue you, bearing Rivka's raspberry chocolate cheesecake as a bribe." Mike grinned; looking more relaxed around Billie than Sami ever remembered seeing him before. In fact the sight of them holding onto each other warmed Sami's matchmaking Irish heart. She'd come to forgive and get along with her older sister at last, mostly around their mutual loss. But the truth was that she and Carrie were too close in age and too far apart in most likes and dislikes, to get along well. It was sad in a way, but nevertheless true that they liked each other better, long distance. And it still struck Sami odd sometimes, now that she'd finally met Anna Fredericks Brady Dimera Marshall Dimera. She and Carrie's mom were as much alike as Carrie and Marlena.

It made Sami wonder if Anna ever seriously thought of patching it up with Tony. She decided to email the former Countess that night, and Carrie, who had wanted those two back together again for some time, to find out. The dinner crew came in as the Basic Black folks were filing out, except for Belle who was mad to tell Sami about another blooming romance. Surprisingly this was not her own long distance relationship with Andrew Donovan, or Meems' with Rex, but the latest developments between Cassie and Phillip. Those two it seemed, had become impossible to separate, these days.

"You're worse than I am!" Sami laughed, as Belle followed her upstairs. "And sis, I learned the hardest way possible, what can go wrong when you push two people at each other."

"Who's pushing?" Belle demanded, pretending to look shocked. "They became friends last year. And when they were both out of town this summer ... Well, despite of everything, and maybe because of everything, things began to change. Sami, it was so kewl! They started writing to each other, just like people in an old movie. And sometimes Phil's letters would make Cassie cry and cry, and sometimes they would make her smile all over her face. And finally, she decided she could trust me, a little. I mean, I don't blame her for waiting. Things were pretty bad between us, especially after..."

"Especially after Shawn left to join the Merchant Marines, just like his dad." Sami agreed, pulling on a clean shirt and then brushing her braid out. "And how are you about all that now, Belle?"

"Oh I was soo angry with him. And I wrote him really angry letters. I told Shawn Douglas Brady that he was running away from home when his mom and his brother needed him most, just like his dad did when grandma and Roman, Kim and Kay needed him home, most. I told him I was really proud of Phillip being a Marine, but his recruiting just made me sad and scared. And I told him I was tired of being sad and scared. I was really awful." Belle confessed, sighing.

"You were really hurt, and sad, and scared. I know what that feels like. But, Shawn was the first guy you fell in love with, sis. Are you being honest with yourself? Are your feelings for him changed, or are you stuffing them? Cos that's no good. And its not fair to Andrew either, even if he is out in LA." Sami told her sister.

"That's why I wanted to talk to you, Sami." Belle admitted finally.

"Then talk. I don't have to be downstairs for about an hour. C'mon, sit and talk to me. That's what big sisters are supposed be for, you know." Sami said patting the loveseat.

"Well, Shawn finally wrote back to me. This week." Belle said, her blue eyes welling up with tears. "And ... and he said he was fine, and he was fine with whatever I thought of him, now. And he said he was proud of following in Bo's footsteps, and that Hope was proud of him too, and that was what really m-mattered to him.

And he said, he hoped to prove himself well enough to go on as his dad did, and join the ISA, and be the one to bring Orpheus down once and for all, since my dad and Shane and the rest couldn't manage it. And he said he always kn-new I would throw him over for another, richer guy, that it was just my nature to dump a guy named Brady, just like M-Mom did with R-R-Roman!"

Sami pulled her sister into a hug just as Belle broke down and sobbed.

"It just never gets any easier, does it?" she asked no one in particular. "I wish Mom and Shawn were both here right now, so she could set that thick headed cousin of mine straight! But the main thing really is this, Belle: You haven't answered my question. Do you still love Shawn-D?" Knowing the young man didn't like his childhood nickname only added to the comfort in Sami's long time pattern of using it."

"I don't ... I don't! Oh, Sami! I don't know! I feel like I had to grow up this summer just like mostly everyone had to... And I feel like Shawn wants to stay a kid forever, running away when he can't face what's going on in his life here. He still thinks I'm going to go chasing after Phillip, no matter what I say. But I couldn't not when I see how happy he is with Cassie. And Andrew ... " Belle stopped and shook her head, but not before Sami saw a small, taut smile on her sister's face when she mentioned Kim and Shane's son by name.

"Yeah, tell me about Andrew. I don't think we've had a minute lately for girl talk." Sami encouraged the younger girl. _You just don't know what kind of pain you're saving yourself from, sis._ Sami thought. _By not chasing after your sister's guy_. "Honey, I know you said Andrew's been emailing you, but is it anything more than that? Is he going to come east again?"

Belle nodded, sniffling and smiling weakly. "He wants to come back for Christmas. He's always saying that California winters aren't real winters at all, that they have to go practically into Nevada or Arizona to find snow even in the mountains. Andrew says he's thinking about going to Oxford, next summer, but he hasn't decided, yet. And he says he's thinking about applying to Chicago University, or MSU, or Notre Dame. Phillip Collier has been showing him the ropes, and he thinks he might want to be an art director ... But he's really tired of LA, right now. Oh, but I'm making it sound like all Andrew talks about is himself! He doesn't! He says we never got a chance to know each other ... until now. He thinks I'm funny and talented and smart! And he thinks I'm old enough to know my own mind, too. And he's so sweet, Sami ... Andrew ... he says he wants to make the most of this ... second chance."

"Well, I can tell you from experience that Sami Brady believes whole-heartedly in second chances." Lucas said, walking in on the sisters, still sitting so close their foreheads were comfortably touching. "Cos that's exactly what she said she'll give me, once she gets me to the altar. Thing is, though, I feel there's still something lacking."

Sami looked up and was ready to frown darkly at her fiancé , when she saw the mischievous glint in his dark eyes. "..Something lacking?" she echoed.

"Yeah, but it's okay cos I brought it with me and this is even better than my original plan, cos here we have a witness. Can you be impartial, where your sister's happiness is concerned, Ms. Black?" Lucas asked, with a serious expression, except for the twinkling in his dark-bright eyes.

"Unh-uh." Belle answered eloquently, shaking her head. "No freakin way. So? What are you up to, Mr. Roberts?"

"Yeah, what are you up to, Lucas Roberts?" Sami demanded.

"About 5'8, if you have to know." Lucas grinned at them. "But no worries. I can explain my revised plan to your perfect and mutual satisfaction. You see, Belle, not too very long ago, your sister Sami was kind enough to ask for my hand in marriage. And I thought it was a fine idea, considering we're soon going to have an eleven-year-old son! She wants to make an honest man of me, at long last. But she forgot one vital element, which with the help of a very good friend, who insists on remaining nameless until the deed is done, I have come to supply."

"What?!" all three of Marlena's daughters demanded to know, as Cassie walked in from the kitchen stairs.

"Just the only thing needed short of a wedding ceremony to show I'm off the market." Lucas answered, still laughing and pulling a black moir silk covered box out of his jacket pocket. "My engagement ring."

"Your ... " Sami opened her mouth long enough for that one syllable and shut it tight again. Rolling her eyes heavenward, she then laughingly declared. "None of your predecessors made this demand, Lucas Roberts. Not one."

"None of them really signed on for the long run." Lucas reminded her as gently as possible. "I have. So, get on with it, dear brat." He held out the jewelry box to Sami, who took it, still staring at him. But in the next moment, her eyes, Belle's and Cassies were all locked on the rings inside that box. They were two amazingly perfect starred jewels, one a dark topaz, the other a rich sapphire, the former set in an elegantly slim silver band, the latter in an almost austere, squared off sterling quasi military setting, and there was no question at all which was meant for which of the engaged pair.

Sami reached for the sapphire, as Lucas reached for the topaz, and their two witnesses sighed and giggled as the two surprising and surprised lovers slid each ring onto the others' left ring finger, saying together, more as an agreement than a question: "Marry me."

Whichever younger sister dragged the other away at that point, neither Lucas nor Sami ever really knew. All they knew at the moment was each other and the shining symbols of the commitment they were preparing to make. Billie was the one who tugged Will away from the upstairs main entry, both of them grinning widely. Inside the living room that had been her grandparents for so many years, Sami was holding Lucas close and he was returning the favor with a warm, impassioned kiss. They had no more witnesses that night and wouldn't have known if they did. As Sami clearly remembered Marlena vowing to the man she truly believed to be her once lost husband and the father of her children, Roman Brady: Sami now said to her husband to be:

"That is the true season of love,  
When we believe that we alone can love  
When no one has ever loved so before us  
And no one will ever love in the same way after us."


	15. Chapter 15

**Part 15**

Two and a half weeks later:

"Sami, please." Lucas began but she jerked her arm out of his grasp and ran back across the upstairs hallway.

"That does it!" she hollered back in his direction. "Its off the whole things off, start sending the presents back now! I can't marry you, you, you womanizer! How can I marry someone who can't keep his hands off my sister! How can I marry anyone without my mother here to help me from going absolutely crazy?"

"Sami, I didn't and I wouldn't touch any of your sisters, or their girlfriends or any other woman in Salem." Lucas insisted.

"Uh-huh! I knew it, you still want Saint Carrie!" Sami wailed, whirling on him, with her eyes frantically searching Lucas' face.

"No, no way, I want Carrie Brady about as much as you'd still want Austin if he were here. C'mon, that's ancient history and you know it. And I understand, honestly I .." Lucas tried again to get his fiancée to listen.

"No, you don't understand and you can't understand1" Sami insisted, sobbing as Lucas stood looking at her as if she'd grown another pair of eyes. "How can you, when we both know very well that your mother is sitting downstairs trying to get Billie to talk to her about Mike Horton?"

"Well, Sami, for one thing, my mom knows better than that, these days. Billie's as happy ... well as happy as we are ... or were, until about five minutes ago. And for another, what has my mom got to do with my saying I liked the bridesmaids outfits you chose. They're great, simple and sophisticated. And I thought that your sisters might ..." Lucas said, hoping to finish explaining.

"You thought that my redheaded sister might look even better out of that bronze silk suit!" Sami yelled, cutting him off. "You think Cassie's hot, really hot, I heard you say so, Lucas Roberts!"

"Omigd!" Lucas put one hand to his face to hide the laugh that came when he realized the touch point of this strained nerves outburst.

"Don't deny it" Sami cried. " You said it even though you probably knew I was in the next room with the door wide open!"

"SamiG, calm down." Lucas asked her, although he doubted that would happen at this juncture. "I saw Cassie and Belle trying on their suits, and I told them what I thought. I said, hey, you look really, really hot! I was talking to both of them. Belle looked really fine in that sage color, and if that's bronze, well it suits Cassie's coloring to a t. And if you think I'm lusting after women who are not only your sisters but ten years younger than I am, you, well, you're just not thinking. Besides, those girls are still trying to look like mannequins. That's not my style, not when I'm sober and I am, and you know it."

"Do I?" Sami turned her tear-stained face and reddened eyes to glance at him again.

"Babe, yes, you know I like a woman with some real curves on her." Lucas said, walking softly up to gently hold her by the shoulders. "And that's you, Sami, in spades."

"Oh, oh okay here we go again about my weight!" Sami growled, turning her back on him again. Her nerves were shot with their simple, quiet wedding less than two weeks away and growing by a magnitude. It seemed that everyone the least bit acquainted or related to them, no matter how slightly or how long ago wanted to be part of their celebration. It didn't really surprise Sami, but it definitely unnerved her.

"No, about your curves, my love. And I want you to hold still a minute, take a deep breath and listen to me, Sami Brady." Lucas demanded.

"Why?" she asked but turned and did as Lucas asked.

"Because you know I'm not a fool. And you know both our younger brothers, your cousin Andrew with probably the help of our son would break my arms and my legs, if I laid a finger on Cassie or Belle. And you know I want to marry you. I said yes, didn't I?" Lucas asked.

"Why?" Sami repeated, looking for all the world like a starving child. The difference now was that Lucas was more aware than ever that she was exactly that. Starved her whole life for the kind of love she was brought up to believe in. The closer they got to making their commitment public and he hoped with all his heart, final, the more high-strung and vulnerable Sami seemed.

"I could say because you drive me wild, woman." Lucas answered. "But this doesn't seem to be the time or place."

"Its because of Will, isn't it?" Sami challenged him. And Lucas shook his dark head no.

"Its because I want you and need you and love you more today than I did the night you came over and proposed. And its because we already wasted so many hours and days and years that I can't stand the idea of throwing away anymore. Sami, I think we belong together as much and more than any two people who ever loved each other, and I know you do too." Lucas went on.

"Lucas, Lucas we ... Omigd, Lucas, we're still so messed up!" Sami now sobbed, "What if we mess each others lives up even more than we already did?"

"No point in ruining two families." Lucas joked. Then he turned serious and wouldn't let Sami look away. "What was messed up was all the time we spent refusing to even be friends, much less admitting I love you as much as you love me. That level of pain and anger doesn't come out of mutual indifference, my dear. And I learned that in Psychology 2.

But we didn't ruin our lives, Sami. We tried really hard, and came close but we didn't. We didn't manage to kill each other or make Will crazy. Okay, maybe I should back off that claim. But Sami, we're still standing. And we're standing together; that's got to count for something. We've got a future, and if you haven't I have learned that when you get offered another chance at a good, maybe even happy life, you've got to grab on and hold it to your heart. You're fond of saying we know each other better than we know ourselves. Well, if that's something you really believe, Sami, then you've got to listen to me."

"Yes, General." she replied, with a hint of her long ago mockery. Lucas saw it in her eyes too, and bit back a grin.

"Fine. Here's the thing." he said. "You want your mom here because moms are supposed to be here when their oldest daughters especially their first born daughters get hit ... married. They're supposed to loan you their mother's earrings and the garter they wore themselves and give you a special lace scarf or something really pretty to wear in your hair. And Marlena can't be here to do those things. And it makes me sad, too.

Because I wish my Dad was still here to give me one of those man to man things we had so damned few of, to drive me home from my bachelor's party, and all that kind of thing. G-d I wish that. But I had a chat with Todd C the other day. And this is what he helped me understand. They are here, Sami." Lucas gently touched his left hand shirt pocket, over his heart, and then Sami's diamond pin, bequeathed by her mom, over hers.

"They always will be. Because we'll always love them. You know, I remember Austin told me you said something like that to Will, one time. And I don't want to bring up those awful memories. I only want to say, you knew back then that what Todd said is right. Didn't you? And I think you still do, don't you?"

Sami had been studying his hands and hers intently, but now she looked up at Lucas and saw that his warm brown eyes were bright with unshed tears. In the past year and more they had rehashed and recovered all the dark and bright spots of their lives together and apart. She knew without a single doubt that Lucas had never wanted her harmed or dead.

She was sure that he had never really hated her, but that he'd had good reason to hate some of things she'd done. How they had struggled to drive their friendship to near death, and beyond, made her wonder now. How they had come back to each other, was something she didn't dare examine closely. But in what Lucas was saying now, she agreed completely.

"I- I told Will, that even if he couldn't see me anymore ... I would always be with him, in his heart." Sami nodded. "Oh I hope he never remembers that day."

"Not till we tell him about it, together. And I hope that won't be for awhile." Lucas agreed. "Are you okay, now Sami?" he asked, pulling her left hand to his mouth to kiss her ring, in a gesture she loved and moved to echo.

"Better. I-I wish Bill was here to help you out, too. But Lucas, a bachelor party?" Sami asked, sniffling and shivering with the after effects of her fears and his kisses.

"Nothing but O'Doul's for yours truly." he promised. "And sparking cider at the reception. Right?"

"Just make sure it's kosher!" Rivka Cooper laughed, walking in on them, her dark auburn braids flying as she entered. "Lucas, unless you want to help plan the menu for that bash, I really need you to get out of here. This is women's work, and Billie begged me to get you downstairs, so Kate would have another child to meddle with."

All three of them laughed at that, and Sami moved to kiss Lucas tenderly, almost shyly, before he left. Amazed at her volatility, Lucas deepened their kiss for a moment, then saluted Rivka and left both women laughing.

"That's my guy." Sami shrugged, glancing at her newest friend.

"Yeah and with those big dark eyes and gorgeous hair and that bod, I can only say I'm sorry he's also a goy!" Rivka joked.

"Rivvy, you're incorrigible! I think if we hadn't been engaged when you came to the Pub, we would have been in about five minutes." Sami insisted.

"It's a gift I have." the baker laughed, not disagreeing in the least. "So, how are the pre-wedding jitters?"

"Miserable." Lucas answered the same question from his mother, as Billie made a hasty retreat to make her date with Mike. "There's too much to get done and less and less time to do it. And I'm glad you're here cos you're just going to have to be okay about what I've decided."

"Uh oh." Kate rolled her eyes.

"Tony's agreed to be my best man. I asked him this morning. I should have asked him a month ago. But I knew the more time you had to react to this, the worse you'd feel. So, now its settled and its waay too late to change that arrangement, even if I wanted to, which I don't." Lucas told her.

"Lucas, what makes you think I'd react badly to this?" his mother demanded.  
"Because you ... you hate Tony almost as much as you hate Victor. And almost as much..."

"As I used to hate Sami?" Kate finished. "You're wrong. But that's only because I let you think those things. I'm sorry. Lucas, its been a long time since I hated Phillip's father. And I look back and think I must have been out of my mind to do some of the things I did then. Not because Victor was too powerful to fight; because he was and is my youngest son's father. And because I got a chance to talk to Caroline Brady ... last spring; she gave me some insights on your former stepfather I couldn't have found anywhere else. But that stays between Caroline, Victor and me.

You see I lucked out when Victor threw me out of Titan and out of his home. I didn't think I'd been that low in twenty some years. But I was wrong. I got the best chance I'd ever had to that point, maybe the best I'll ever have. I got mixed up with a blue-collar cop who should have shied away from me like a nervous thoroughbred. But Roman didn't. He came after me and kept coming until I ... I was lucky enough to fall in love again. And when Roman was gone, I found out exactly how much he loved me."

"I don't get it." Lucas admitted.

Kate smiled, and shook her head. "Roman Brady gave me his heart and the best gift any man in my life ever gave: The same gift you and Sami have chosen to give each other. Lucas, the man I wanted to be your stepfather with all my heart, knew everything there was to know about me, and he loved me in spite of it. And Roman left me a letter, and a file to prove it. He knew things about me that Curtis, and Victor never knew or wanted to know. And he knew something that I shared with very, very few others, and that was when I was their patient, so they couldn't make it known. And that kind of knowing loving is the way Sami described your love for each other. Was she making that up? No, I didn't think so. And would you ever give up the chance you have with each other again? No, I didn't think so. How can I hate any woman who loves my son that way?"

"But we started out talking about Tony Dimera." Lucas reminded Kate.

"So we did. Lucas, darling. Come and sit down with me, and I'll finally explain that to you, too. It's time and past time." Kate said, and patted the seat beside her.

"Mom?" Lucas began, but her expression was far too serious to allow for some kind of pre-wedding torment.

"You miss Bill, don't you? So do I, very much. You see; he wasn't just a dear friend, as his father, Tom Horton and Marlena were when I needed friends so badly. He was my doctor, as well at the time. So I confided in him, and in them, what I haven't told anyone else alive or dead, except for Laura, finally, a few weeks ago."

"Okay, I'm confused." Lucas admitted, gratefully gulping at the ice tea Kate had ordered for Billie before she took off.

"Bill had a lot of practice keeping secrets by the time I came to the hospital, half dead and terrified that I would lose you, to Curtis' beating. Bill performed an emergency C-section, just like Dr. Bader did for Will, for you. I watched as he massaged your tiny chest, and breathed air into your lungs, and washed the ... matter off your face, and put mercury in your big eyes. He didn't leave a thing to chance. So, it wouldn't be any exaggeration at all to say Bill Horton was the man who gave you life. He did, darling. But he didn't ... I know Laura wouldn't have believed me ten years ago; but she does now. Bill and I began an affair, but it was after you were born, Lucas. But he allowed me to say differently, if I ever had to. He didn't father you, or any of my children, Lucas."

"Omigd!" Lucas stopped himself short of shouting in the crowded Pub. "Mom, after all this time, you're not going to tell me that ... " he paused, feeling more than a little ill. "Mom, Billie isn't ... Austin wasn't my full ..."

"No, no, sweetie. Curtis Reed had no part in your life and no claim on it. And he knew it, but he never knew who to ... blame. He couldn't. I had to keep that secret. Lucas, even though I know precisely how poisonous secrets can be. But this one was to keep you safely out of reach of a monster every bit as bad and far more powerful than Curtis Reed. And Tom Horton, and his son Bill, and Marlena, kept that secret with me, to protect you. Lucas, it was to keep you out of sight, out of mind and out of reach of your biological grandfather, " Kate took a deep breath and finally pronounced the name she had hated and feared for thirty years. "Stefano."

Lucas sat back hard against the booth's cushioned back, but didn't feel that, or anything. His head was spinning and his pulse raced. And something similar but not identical to the hour when he realized he loved Sami Brady hit him like a diesel truck without brakes. In the part of his heart that he hardly ever dared to examine, he'd known, not for a long time, but surely since the time he traveled in Africa with the man who breathed air into his infant lungs. Bill was Mike's father and Jenn's, not his. And though he would always love Jennifer as his sister, their blood tie was a myth. And his mother's trepidation about Lucas working for Tony Dimera ... had a basis he'd never imagined.  
"Does Tony know this?" Lucas finally managed to ask.

"Yes. He didn't want you endangered, either. He kept the secret, and took some fantastic chances doing it, while Stefano was alive. So, can you still bear to look at me?" Kate asked quietly.

Lucas turned to her amazed at the question. "Mom, don't you know what you just did?"

"Umm .. not sure, now." Kate smiled.

"You kept me safe from the high strung nervous fantasies of my bride to be!" Lucas laughed. "She had the cockamamie idea that I wanted to ... that Cassie was attractive to me. And you gave me something I thought I never had and could never have again. You gave me back a living father. But, mom, you know I have to tell Sami. Between AA and her own issues with secrets ... You know."

"I know." Kate nodded. "But maybe there's someone else you want to talk with first?" His mother turned her head towards the main entrance of the Pub, and Lucas started to rush towards the dark, smiling man standing there.

But first he reached down to Kate and kissed her forehead as if she were the child between them. Then he left the astonished woman and all but threw himself into Tony Dimera's arms. Pulling back from the older man, who he'd thought he knew so well, and now realized he knew so little, Lucas found he only had one word to say: "Thanks."


	16. Chapter 16

**Part 16**

"You're more than welcome." Tony grinned. "But I'm afraid the news I'm bearing today isn't all good. You know what they say about Greeks and gifts. Let's go sit with your lovely mother, and talk about the good parts while we await my brother. Shall we?"

"Tony, after the past few months, I'd really rather get the bad news upfront and deal with it. I've never been particularly patient and this summer didn't help matters much." Lucas immediately protested.

"Ah but I think you've demonstrated tremendous patience, waiting for your bride to be to come around to your way of thinking, as an example." Tony laughed. "And John was getting the most current data from Captain Donovan, who I'm afraid to say still doesn't wholeheartedly trust me. For now, you and I and Katherine have some catching up to do. Wouldn't you say?"

Lucas had learned enough to recognize the adamantine look in Tony's dark eyes. His father's eyes. The thought shook him to his roots and yet, Lucas thought, he wasn't nearly as worried by it as he might have been. Until he saw the after school kids Sami had mentioned the other day, yelling and racing around the Pub, with all the pent up energy of a mid autumn afternoon. Will wasn't among these kids, and Lucas decided his son must have run upstairs for a hug and a snack from Sami.

"Will!" Lucas muttered, and then stopped walking towards Kate and faced Tony once more. "Tony, from what I already know, until a couple weeks ago, only five people knew what I just found out about you and I. Doctor Horton, Bill, Marlena, Mom, of course, you and Roman. Now Laura and I know. How can you be sure no one else has found out in the last thirty years? How can we be sure someone won't be coming after Will because he's Stefano's great grandson? The hatred in this town for ..."

"For the Phoenix? For the Dimera name? Yes, I'm well aware of the fact that it lives on, here and in many other sites. And deservedly so. But as of this moment, there are only a handful of people who know our heritage, Lucas. And until recently there were three others, not counting the late Tom Horton. And I have kept watch and made sure others kept watch when I could not, for all of those thirty years you mention. No one let so much as an inkling of this be known. Of that, I'm very sure. And for the simple reason that you are standing here, hale and whole, confronting me with every ounce of your strength. The same holds true of young William, who I sent upstairs only a moment ago. A marvelous child, really."

"Yeah well, if I was too young to know this for thirty years, then for sure Will is too young. He's got all the discretion of a ... ten-year-old boy. I'd hate to keep him from his own ... " Lucas looked around edgily and turned back to Tony. "From his family, indefinitely. But ..."

"I quite understand, Lucas." Tony told him. "Until the normal course of life changes things, Will is your only son and heir. He is your future, and the future must have our protection."

"Okay, well you might as well know, I already told Mom, Sami has to be let in on this. We're going to be married, for peets sake." Lucas said.

"And so you are, and now you know why I said I'd be not just honored but delighted to stand up with you that day. Weddings are such absolute nightmares to get through, especially in ... our family." Tony joked. "Your mother's waiting for us."

Kate was standing up watching them intently as Lucas and Tony joined her. The Count leaned over and kissed her, and Lucas felt like a pre-schooler watching his parents smooching. Looking away and scratching at the back of his neck, he got a genuine laugh from both of them by saying: "Uh -- guys?"

"Lucas, I really must ask you to get your vision checked. In no manner whatsoever could Katherine ever be described as a guy." Tony admonished him.

"Thank you, Antony." Kate laughed, and brought the red right back to Lucas's face by kissing Tony very warmly in return.

"Now I know what Will means." Lucas commenting, seriously considering and rejecting the idea of sitting between the two older adults. "When he says its so hard, raising parental units these days!"

They were still laughing at him as a waitress in a bright, fall colored madras outfit stopped to bring three glasses and a bottle of some sparkling beverage.

"Tony, I can't .." Lucas protested.

"Not if you intend wedding the fiery Ms Brady." Tony agreed, and held the bottle of sparkling cider up for Lucas inspection. With all the etiquette drilled into him by his late mother, Tony proceeded to pour three wine flutes full of the pale drink. "Now, how shall we appropriately, and discreetly toast our ... status?"

"To the happy couple?" Lucas laughed, finally relocating his sense of humor. "I mean, don't you g... two think its about time you legitimized me?"

"I'm with you on that one, Lucas." John Black agreed, stepping up to the threesome. "Being a bastard these days just isn't what it used to be. Yeah, I know. And I've been giving my brother here all kinds of grief over having two sons to my one. Of course he said he'd be glad to loan Rex out on occasion." John laughed.

"And the offer remains open." Tony smiled. "Or perhaps we could strike a deal, Brady to learn some of the things his grandfather tells him about the Dimeras aren't exactly true, Rex to discover there are some values among the plebian class, after all."

"No deal." John shook his head. "Not just now, I have a bride to give away in a not too long. How're you holding up, there, bridegroom?"

"I couldn't really say. My heads still spinning. John, of course I trust you with my family's safety but when did you find out about, what I only found out about today, half an hour ago?"

" It came up during the present investigation. And that's what I came here to talk about. Not to spoil your party. I have some news. And it may be good, in a way. Orpheus is dead, and has been since I shot him on that island, something like seventeen years ago. And of his three children, the two boys died in a hospital in Turkey, years ago, their names were Theo and Vincente. But Orion's daughter, Rosa Adrianna, disappeared about that same time. And she's turned up very much alive, all of twenty four years old, living in southern Canada."

"Then she ..." Lucas shuddered, thinking that this woman he'd never met and never hoped to meet was close in age to Sami. "

John nodded. "She created, or rather, manipulated a virus strain that wouldn't have caused more than a summer cold in most people, and planted the damned contagion in as many openings to the local water supply as she could find, especially those close to the people she wanted dead. Whoever said we were lucky that only 58 died here this summer, couldn't have been more right. And the only clue in that regard seems to be that the mutated virus isn't airborne and can't survive in open environments. Now you want to know how I know all these details, right?

Truth is, Orpheus' daughter told us. She sent a full report on her activities to ISA and Interpol headquarters three days ago. She brags about her success in poisoning Salem's water supply. She may be actively insane, I don't know. What I do know is she's taken her father's code name, to make sure we know who did this, and why. She targeted us, just as if she'd taken an assault rifle to the top of St. Mark's and started shooting from the bell tower. She knew Marlena on sight, but not Roman. She only knew the name, Roman Brady, as the name of the man who killed her parents."

Kate gasped, and reached out a hand to John. "So she killed Roman's parents, and his 'wife', and his brother, Bo, and his son Eric Roman Brady. And she killed Roman, deliberately, to get her revenge. And everyone else, my, my oldest son ... Bill and his mom, his daughter, all of them were what, just icing on her poisoned cake?" Kate sounded, and knew she was a little hysterical at this point.

"Katherine, no one in Salem is more regretful than my brother that so many died in this mad girl's vendetta." Tony said quietly. "And she must be insane, or she would have tried to find the person she so wrongly blamed. You see, I used my own resources, added to the ISA's and came up with a rather startling, and not very comforting conclusion. Orpheus and his daughter were both wrong, John. It was KGB marksmen that killed Adrianna, not you. She'd come to warn you about their ambush and that was not looked on kindly, to say the least. And it was one of the Phoenix' operatives who killed Orpheus, as he had become quite dangerously out of control. I know that for certain because I was there myself that day, but not soon enough to prevent the plane crash. Marlena was a friend in those days, and I have regretted only a very few things more than my failure that morning."

John looked at Tony but said nothing aloud, only mouthing his thanks for relief from that particular burden.

"Okay, okay." Lucas interrupted. "I get that. But what I want to know is, where is this nutcase now, and how do we keep her from coming back to Salem, to tie up her loose ends? I mean if she finds out the man she thinks shot her parents is still alive, she probably won't be happy until anyone John gives a dam about dies! And I won't let that happen!"

"And we won't let that happen." John, Tony and Kate agreed.

"Then what are we going to do about it?" Sami asked, coming to find her stepfather, who'd called about having dinner together.

"Outwardly? We do nothing we aren't already in the midst of, such as getting ready to celebrate a wedding." John answered very seriously. "Between ourselves, and as few as possible others, we keep our eyes sharp and our ears to the ground. We can't quarantine Salem again, that would send up all the wrong signals. Instead, we're going to build and bait the trap for Orpheus redux, and wait, with as much covert help from the authorities and the ISA, as we can garner. It will be nerve wracking, but not more than any other ... Salem wedding ever was?"

"Didn't you mean not more than any other Capulet-Montague wedding ever was?" Sami laughed. "Two families alike in state, in fair Vero... Salem where we set our tale ... Look I know this isn't the least bit funny, but neither is getting married! Just ask me. Come on upstairs when you're done with this odd trio, John. Dinner's nearly ready. And you, Montague, come with me, now." Sami didn't ask so much as she pulled Lucas out of the booth by his shirt collar and began walking towards the stairs with him in tow.

"Wha... Sami, I was ... Hey, Mom!" Lucas yelped, which got a laugh all around and a grin from his fianc e to the others.

"Isn't he cute when he's flustered?" she asked, and then just kept going. When they were at the bottom of the stairs, where the curve of the bar blocked them from the main room and their voices from the early dinner crowd, Sami turned back to Lucas and smiled a bit wickedly. "So, you've been having a bit of a day?" she asked, her blue eyes even wider than usual with mirth.

"Yes, thank you, Mrs Landingham." Lucas answered gruffly.

"Good, we have to talk." Sami replied, and started up the stairs with his arm, rather than his collar in her grasp.

"About what? Can't you decide what flavor of blintzes to have at the rehearsal breakfast? I'm partially to blueberry, myself." Lucas joked.

"About how we're going to tell Will he still has a grandfather, dork." Sami answered, not joking.

"I am not a dork, and we're absolutely not telling my son about... Hey! How the heck do you know?" Lucas yelled.

"Hush, loud mouth. John and I have a pact, and I think maybe you and I should try it sometime. Its called 'no secrets, cos secrets bite.' Ready? G-d Lucas, did you really only find out today that Tony's your …'' Sami started to ask when Lucas frowned so worriedly she had to stop.

" Yes, and by the way, who are you telling to hush, motor mouth? Okay, okay, let's go up and figure this out. But are you sure this isn't some bizarre Brady ritual for torturing the prospective bridegroom before the ceremony?" Lucas asked.

"Actually it is." Sami laughed. "It's a test of endurance, a trial by fire, a challenge to the spirit, and the perfect way to find out if said bridegroom is fit to belong to our kin. And nobody, not a Horton, not a Johnson, not a Donovan, and certainly not a Roberts has ever died during the preliminary testing period. No, comas don't count."

She was still giggling at him by the time they reached the upstairs landing. But Lucas knew the best way to put a stop to that. He turned Sami to face him again and pulled her into his arms, kissing her gently at first and then more and more ardently. He didn't need to do it twice to get her sighing, smiling response.

But they'd forgotten that at that point on the landing, anyone in the main dining room could look up and see whoever stopped there. So both Lucas and Sami were startled by a clinking of spoons on glasses and a full-throated cheer from the restaurant below. Sami was about to bow to their audience when she and Lucas got the same idea at once. It seemed to be happening more and more lately.

"Let's give the people what they want." They suggested together, grinning and went back into an embrace.


	17. Chapter 17

**Part 17**

Two weeks further on, three and a half days before Thanksgiving, 2004

"Capulet to Montague" Sami whispered into the high tech cell phone/PAD Lucas had given her as an engagement gift. "Come in Montague."

"Cap... uh ... er ... Montague here, report in, Capulet, you're four and a half minutes late!" Lucas answered, sounding less than fully awake.

"Stow it, Monty." Sami laughed. "The report is all clear. Repeat. All clear. Get down out of that loft ... er I mean, balcony and report in, yourself, already."

"On my way, Cappy." Lucas grinned and clicked off. They'd been driven crazy by pre wedding demands all week, not to mention the early holiday crowds in the Pub and the New Years project Lucas was chipping away at for Tony. All of Salem was looking forward to the end of 2004 almost more than they were to Kwanzaa, Chanukah or Christmas. It had become a year worth remembering and in some ways even more worth forgetting. And the soon to be marrieds had finally resorted to sneaking time alone together whenever the opportunity presented itself.

This one came at nearly ten thirty one night, when after considerable coercion, Will agreed to visit with Kate, Billie and Phillip to talk about the approaching wedding and the holidays as well. "My theory is, that Rex had better watch out, Will has thrown Noelle over for Meems." Sami giggled, when Lucas made it downstairs.

"Well, you know how determined the men in my family can be when it comes to matters of the heart. Rex has genius and considerable brawn, but he's really no match for our kid." Lucas added, kissing Sami and pulling her close.

"Yeah, I know. Tony was determined almost before we were that we'd get back to each other. I should thank him some time." Sami agreed, pulling away only enough to catch her breath.

"No, we should thank him sometime. Who do you think, Liz or Anna?" Lucas laughed.

"And you call me a matchmaker? Give the man a break, Lucas. He protected you for years, despite the cost. I think that was the only thing my mom was ever really wrong about. She decided once that Tony couldn't be trusted, anymore. Sorry, Mom."

"She knew better after a little while." Lucas assured her. "Maybe she didn't know that he was in on the great paternity conspiracy."

"Yeah, and I had nothing to do with it." Sami grinned. "Darn it."

"Yeah, you would have spilled the beans at exactly the wrong moment." Lucas teased her, bending to nibble her right ear.

"Yeah, like you could have kept it secret. Uh...ummm ... Lucas you... I thought we were going to talk." Sami said.

"Oh, you mean you can't talk when I do this?" Lucas smiled and went to work on her left ear lobe.

"Sure ... umm ... ummm.. I ... " Sami felt her insides melting at his touch and his soft, wet kisses on her neck and shoulders now. " I ... ummm... .just don't ... make any ... much sense."

"Not any much, no." Lucas agreed, but wasn't about to stop when making such progress. "You taste good, my little Capulet. What were you and Rivka baking today?"

"Ginger ... ginger ... bread ... bread... ummmm uh... uh ... people. Women ... and ... oh ... man! Lucas!" Sami cried, grabbing his hair and pulling his mouth hungrily down to hers. She claimed his lips and pushed her way into his mouth with her tongue, working furiously to bring the same tingling, burning sensations to her lover.

"I'm your man, Sami!" Lucas whispered huskily when they managed to break the kiss for a bit of air.

"Luc-- Lucas," Sami moaned, working her fingers down his back, and when frustrated, reaching to pull his shirt and T off, with or without Lucas' help. Her skin felt like fire and she wanted to share that warmth more than anything right now.

"Easy, Babe, easy, we're engaged, nobody's gonna tell us to wait. Sami, you're like a flame," Lucas whispered, breathing hard and feeling his own reactions quicken. "You're a golden flame ... And I'm not afraid of the fire, Sami, not with you, never with you."

"I'll never hurt you again!" Sami swore, but then pulled back to laugh at herself, a little breathlessly. "Okay, okay, I probably will, but not like that, baby. Never like that. Lucas, why, why did I wait so long? What the ... what was I waiting for? I want you, I love you so dam much!"

"You waited for the past to die, Sami. And it has. We don't need it anymore. We don't need anything or anyone but you and me and Will and a couple dozen pesky relatives. Right?"

"No." Sami rasped, kneading his back and shoulders, pressing against his pecs, wanting to bring Lucas so close to her that they would be locked together. "No, there's something else I want. There are two other things I want. There's three ... "

"Keep goin' Babe." Lucas smiled, his dark eyes glowing at her, his face flushed and his excitement unmistakable. "Tell me, or better, show me what you want, Sami. Anything, anything at all, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the lightning, the rain, the wind ... Tell me, love."

"Love." she echoed, breathing harshly, barely glancing up from where she'd started raining kisses down his chest. "I want to tell you that I love you ... I never thought I would, but I was wrong, so wrong. And I want to carry your babies, our babies, beneath my heart, just like I carried Will, only not just like, cos this time I'll know I don't want any other man in my arms, in my bed or in my life. I want twins, Lucas. And so I want you to make our new babies with me, now, tonight! Please, Lucas, please?"

"Sami, my mom and a lot of other folks in this town will still be able to do the math." Lucas sighed, stopping as he reached for the small square package in his discarded shirt pocket. "This isn't going to be something you can change your mind about later, if we ... conceive. Are you sure?"

"Oh am I ever!" Sami blushed and laughed and gestured in pure frustration. "How the heck do you undo this fancy belt!"

Laughing, Lucas put his hands over hers and showed his eager lover just where to push and where to tug. Kissing and laughing and all but singing together they had Lucas out of his pants and Sami bared from the waist up, first and then moreso in what Lucas laughingly called a new land speed record. Pressing so close it seemed they would melt into each other, they enjoyed each other for an unmarked span of time.

Hurriedly the first time, and with more patience afterwards, they explored everything about each other. This was familiar, yet new and strange territory for both of them. They were not now and would never be again the pair of hungry teens with emotions and hormones rampaging that they were years before. Time could not and would not move backwards for them. The difference now was, neither one of them wanted it to. They were different people, stronger, wiser and sadder, and immeasurably surer of their love and their future.

Finally, breathing shallowly, fondling, kissing, and licking everywhere on each other, the lovers began to answer each other only with their bodies. Speech that could never be said or written coursed from one's hands to the others. Emotions that had no language sparked in their eyes. Sounds, sighs, moans and cries all devolved into the pounding of two hearts. Nothing else existed as they drew closer than they ever had before tonight. Without a word, or a gesture, without anything but touch and taste and the fire it spread through both of them, these two broken hearts mended each other and reached together for the stars.

They were so close, that night that unlike their first, long ago love making, this time they climaxed in an undivided cry of joy, and collapsed in each other's arms. Their minds spun like tops and they clung to each other happily dizzied. And this time, Lucas felt for the rest of his life, that he knew as soon as Sami did, the shivering certainty that they had renewed and completed their family, just as they'd renewed and completed each other.

When he could breathe deeply again, Lucas looked at his lover without speaking his thoughts. And she looked up into his eyes without a word. And they nodded. Thanksgiving was technically three days away, when they would make this joining ritually, publicly and G-d willing, permanently. But this would be their new anniversary between the two of them for the rest of their days.

No matter what came to them, or at them now, they had no more doubt that they would face it, love it, or fight it together. Life wasn't going to get any easier than it had been in the months just past. In some ways, at some times, it might get harder. But it wouldn't defeat them. Peace and laughter, problems and losses would all be theirs, but together now. Sorrow had had its day and then some, and might again. But they would not be standing to face and fight it back alone.

Love had been their beginning, even if they hadn't known it then. Love had built an indivisible bond between them in far more than a shared child. Love would light their future and their world as long as they lived.

**Another Beginning.**


End file.
